DUBAI // The bond with home was strengthened as children, along with their parents and teachers, celebrated India’s Republic Day by flocking to functions organised at schools, the embassy and consulate on Tuesday.
Colourful dances and patriotic songs were part of performances as saffron, white and green balloons were released to mark the start of festivities at the Indian High School in Dubai.
“We live far away from India, many of us were born here, but we don’t feel the distance,” said Keerthana Sudheesh, 15, who led a squad in the school march.
“These occasions help us to learn more about the importance of India’s struggle for independence, the Indian emblem and flag.”
The Indian tricolour flag stretched across a section of the school building as students performed a medley of classical dances along with Bollywood movie numbers. They also enacted musical skits about famed Indian freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi.
Vivid presentations melded history with current events. Parents clapped as children marched on to the field waving banners reading, “Quit India”, evoking a civil disobedience movement launched by Gandhi demanding the departure of British colonial rulers.
Others held aloft brooms as a symbol of the continuing “Swachh Bharat (Clean India)” campaign launched by prime minister Narendra Modi.
“We wanted to remind children of our history and also tell them about what is good for the country, like to keep it free from pollution,” said Radha Hari, 10, a Grade 6 student.
The country is celebrating its 67th republic day to mark the date India’s Constitution came into force declaring it a secular, democratic republic on January 26, 1950.
“Many factors keep us together as a nation given India’s great diversity, different cultures, races, religions,” said T P Seetharam, India’s ambassador to the UAE.
“But what is very important is our constitution, because that ensures equality for all and lays down the rights of all citizens, lists the principles and lofty ideals to which our country aspires. Republic day reminds us of our past and gives us the resolve to contribute to its development.”
Bilateral relations between India and the UAE, Mr Seetharam said, had been raised to a higher level with the visit of prime minister Modi and had “entered the stage of a strategic partnership”.
Back on the school grounds, Keerthana Vinod, 11, explained how a mime show with her classmates conveyed the need for unity.
“We used actions and masks to show that we should not fight among ourselves but stand united,” Keerthana said.
That children understood history was key for Malasree Satish, a housewife in school to see her son perform.
“It helps youngsters to learn more about the republic and the values of the country,” she said.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
