By Santosh Ghimire

New Delhi, Aug 15: Widows and next of kin of deceased Gorkha soldiers of Indian Armed Forces were felicitated in Kathmandu on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Indian Independence on Monday.

Amid a function organized on the Indian Embassy premises Monday morning, ambassador to India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava felicitated widows and next of kin of deceased Gorkha soldiers of Indian Armed Forces by disbursing their dues worth Nepali rupees 2.65 crore and a blanket to each family, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

The embassy stated that the celebration was part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' which is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate 75 years of progressive India and remarkable achievements by Indians in all spheres of human endeavour.

The Independence Day celebrations began with hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador Srivastava, who then read out the message of the President of India Droupadi Murmu on the occasion.

In her statement, the Indian President highlighted the progress in various fields in the past 75 years and paid tribute to freedom fighters who laid their lives for the independence of India.

The Indian government launched Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in March 2021 to commemorate a historic milestone in Independent India's journey. The celebration will continue till 15 August 2023.

Meanwhile, various programs are also being organized in Kathmandu to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence on Monday. Nepal-Bharat Maitri Samaj, a think-tank in Kathmandu, is hosting a reception in Kathmandu to mark the occasion.