Statement by the President on India Republic Day

On behalf of the American people, I send my best wishes to the people of India and to those here in the United States and around the world who are celebrating India Republic Day.  Michelle and I were honored to visit India in November as India marked the 60th year of its democratic constitution. As I said then, the United States and India are not only the world’s two largest democracies, we are two pluralistic societies that believe in the potential and dignity of every human being.

These are the beliefs that inspire the nearly three million Americans who can trace their roots to India – and all of whom enrich our society. And they are the beliefs that have led Prime Minister Singh and I to make the U.S-India relationship one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. As we go forward together, the enduring lessons of this Republic Day can inspire us to seek a future of greater prosperity and opportunity for both our peoples.