[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17340]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I offer my warmest 
congratulation, to the people of India and the Indian Diaspora as we 
approach India's Independence Day on August 15.
  On that day in 1947, India marched forward into a future of 
uncertainty. With a struggling economy and high illiteracy and poverty 
rates, many challenges lay in India's path. Now many of these 
challenges have been overcome and greater economic opportunities have 
been created every day for the people of India.
  More importantly, India is our ally and a democratic friend. America 
is the world's oldest democracy and India is the world's largest 
democracy. We are increasing bilateral trade and increasing military 
ties through military exercises. We face the same threat from joint 
terrorists who are targeting innocent civilians unable to defend 
themselves. Terrorists attacked an Indian airlines plane in 1999 and 
stabbed an Indian passenger to death, and this same network of 
terrorists have beheaded innocent people who have tried to help the 
people of the Middle East. This shows we are allies in the global war 
on terror and we must work together to eradicate this menace to 
civilization.
  In conclusion, may God bless our troops and we will never forget 
September 11.

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