Islamabad: Overseas Indians today (Jan 26, 2004) celebrated the 55th Republic Day with patriotic fervour, hoisting the tricolour, singing national songs and holding cultural functions.

In Islamabad, High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon hoisted the tricolour and read out President A P J Kalam's speech at a function organised at the Indian Embassy to mark the occasion.

After the flag hoisting the children sang national songs.

Indian community in China celebrated the Republic Day at three separate functions held in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

At a well-attended function held in Beijing at the Indian Embassy, Charge de Affaires, Debnath Shaw hoisted the national tricolour and read out a message from President A P J Abdul Kalam.

In Shanghai, China's largest city and commercial as well as industrial hub, the Consul General of India, Sujan R Chinoy hoisted the national flag at a function held at his residence.

Across the former Soviet Union, flag hoisting ceremonies were held in Moscow, Almaty, Baku, Dushanbe, Kiev, Minsk and Tashkent.

Felicitating the Moscow-based Indian community on the Republic Day in impeccable Hindi, Ambassador K Raghunath urged them to work towards achieving the goals identified by President Kalam in his address.

In Mandalay in Myanmar, a colourful ceremony was organised to celebrate India's 55th Republic Day.

Consul General P K Bhutiani unfurled the tricolour and read out President Kalam's address to an enthusiastic audience of about 300 Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin.

Indians in the Gulf from all walks of life celebrated the 55th Republic Day hoisting national flag, organising cultural programmes and singing patriotic songs.

In Abu Dhabi, the Ambassador Sudhir Vyas hoisted the tricolour followed by the rendering of the national anthem by children from Indian school.

He asked the children take a ten point oath enunciated in President Kalam's speech expressing among other things commitment to removal of corruption, pursuit of excellence in education, spreading of literacy and eradication of religious discrimination. The Consul General in Dubai Yash Sinha also unfurled the tricolour in the presence of a large number of Indians.

In the Omani capital Muscat, the Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmed read out the President's address at a ceremony at the Indian school Wadi Kabir attended by a large number of Indians.

In Australia, the Indian community celebrated the Republic Day with the unfurling of the tricolour at the Indian High Commission in Canberra and the residence of the Consulate General in Sydney.

The flag was also hoisted at Indian honorary consulates in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.