August 15: Since early in the morning. Sunrise Radio, the `Indian radio station' has been belting out `patriotic' Hindi film songs, ``Meri desh ki dharti...'' ``Desh tera bhagwan hai sunle naujavan...'' etc., etc. Listeners have been calling to talk about the 50th anniversary, one woman caller from France read out a poem she had composed for the day and Shashi Kapoor made an appearance, to plug the special showings of various Merchant Ivory films. The radio station's `celebration' of the 50th anniversary of Indian Independence Day is perhaps the biggest, `popular' event in the country. The Indian community here has not made any public display of joyous celebration. In Southall, since Thursday the presence of a larger than usual number of police is an indication that if anything was expected, it was trouble. One Southall resident said, that the absence of public celebrations was an indication of the tensions in the area and the impossibility to ``celebrate anything together or separately''. On Sunday, however, `secular' groups from Southall are holding a `Unity Rally' to mark the occasion.

Around the country, there have been low-key `official' events: flag hoisting and speech making. Bharat Bhasin, of the Yorkshire Indian Association, said that there were no local celebrations because it was a working day. He said: ``Over the weekend there will be get together and celebrations...in small groups.'' He, like others in the country, talked of a `Hindu Marathon': held in Bradford some weeks ago, as the major event to mark the 50th anniversary of Indian independence.

In Bradford, however, on August 14, the Pakistani community with the Pakistani Consulate had what is the biggest public event to mark either anniversary. A mela in the city centre where as one participant said, you could ``buy anything from a kebab to a Koran'' and a concert featuring Indian groups. An official banquet last night was held in the City Hall which was attended by all the good and the great of the city and its Pakistani community. In Manchester, the Pakistani community celebrated with street parties.

In London, on Friday evening the Indian high commission hosted a `reception' of some 3,000 guests at the Hilton at Hyde Park. The usual flag hoisting ceremony to which people from the Indian community are normally invited, was for some reason a `private ceremony' attended only by High Commission staff. Indians at the Commonwealth Secretariat are also hosting a reception, and at today's Evensong, at Westminister Cathedral, a special prayer will be said for India.

Indian restaurants in London are trying to cash in on the anniversary with special offers. The huge media celebration has made people who would normally treat August 14 as just another day of the week, sit up and notice. And the `50 years' has become an excuse for weekend parties.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.