Whereas the Republic of India achieved its independence from the British Empire on August 15, 1947, marking the end of the struggle which freed the Indian people; Whereas, on said day, Jawaharlal Nehru, the inaugural Prime Minister of India, hoisted the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi; Whereas members of India’s numerous ethnic groups, minorities, and religions including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, all participate in the celebration of Independence Day; Whereas, according to United Nations population estimates, India is the largest democracy in the world, with an estimated population of more than 1,425,000,000 people; Whereas India’s contributions to democracy have inspired leaders and movements across the globe, including civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Whereas India embraces with the United States a system where the ultimate authority to govern is vested in the people; Whereas these and other ideals have forged a close bond between our two nations and their peoples; Whereas Prime Minister Modi’s Official State Visit to the United States on June 22, 2023, anchored the United States and India in a new level of trust and mutual understanding based on common interests and shared commitments to freedom, democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, and respect for human rights; Whereas Americans with Indian heritage enhance public life in the United States as government officials, military personnel, and law enforcement officers who diligently uphold the principles of the United States Constitution and contribute to the enriching diversity of the Nation; and Whereas it is proper and desirable to celebrate with the Indian people, and to reaffirm the democratic principles on which our two nations were born: Now, therefore, be it