LAST UPDATE | 11 Aug 2025

INDIA DAY CELEBRATIONS scheduled to take place in Dublin this weekend have been cancelled due to “unfortunate circumstances”, the Ireland India Council have confirmed.

The event, a celebration of Indian culture which has taken place here for over a decade, was due to be held in Farmleigh House and Estate in the Phoenix Park on Sunday.

“The decision was not taken lightly,” the Ireland India Council said in a statement.

“In light of the recent unprovoked violent attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland, which can have lifelong consequences and out of respect for the pain and distress experienced by the victims, their families and the wider community, we believe it is in everyone’s best interest to defer the event” the statement said.

The Council added that their “foremost priority” is to ensure that India Day remains a celebration that “fosters unity, joy and safety for all”.

India Day has always stood for freedom and friendship – values we hold dear.

“Those guiding principles will continue to reshape the rescheduled celebration, which we will announce once the situation has improved,” the Council said.

The postponement announcement came as Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister of State with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy, met with with members of the Indian community to discuss the attacks on Indian citizens in recent weeks.

The meeting was held at Government Buildings.

Speaking after the meeting Harris said that he had a “good discussion” with representatives from different organisations representing the Indian community. 

He said that the recent spate of attacks is “despicable”, adding “they need to be called out and condemned by all”. 

Harris said that the Goverment will be looking at other things that can be done, including the new integration strategy due to be published next year, and how the integration fund is being used. 

He said that members of the India Ireland Council told him that they feel more needs to be done at school level to tackle racism, “I would share that view,” he added. 

Harris said that there are around 80,000 Indian people living in Ireland today and that they make a “positive contribution” to not only our health service, but many other industries too. 

Harris also spoke of his dissapointment that India Day has been cancelled. He said that when it does go ahead, he will be in attendance.

Representatives from the Council said that while the closed door meeting is a positive development, they want clear and public action to be taken by the government.

This would include arrests, relevant education for children on integration, integration initiatives, and a seperate transport police in Ireland to free up gardaí.

The issue was highlighted after an Indian man was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Tallaght, Dublin, last month.

A silent vigil was held outside the Department of Justice by Friends of India in response.

The Indian embassy in Dublin has also issued a warning that there has been “an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently”.

The embassy said it was in contact with Irish authorities about the matter.

There was also an attack on a six-year-old girl in Waterford, which the Tánaiste said particularly sticks in his mind.

Anupa Achuthan, the girl’s mother, told The Journal that the attack happened on in front of the family’s home. 

She says that a group of boys who appeared to be aged 11-13 physcially attacked her daughter Nia, by hitting her with a bicycle in her “genital area” and punching her in the face. 

Anupa said that her daughter and friends of her daughter, who witnessed the alleged attack, said that the teenagers told Nia to “go back to India” and used abusive language. 

At the meeting today, Simon Harris said he would express his “absolute horror and disgust” at the recent attacks.

He also said he would point to the huge contribution made by members of the Indian community in Ireland, and would cite in particular their key role in our health system.

There are approximately 80,000 Indian people living in Ireland.

The Tánaiste said yesterday: “This is a good country. This is a country of ‘cead mile failte’.

“This is a country that recognises the incredible value that the Indian community have made. It’s a country that abhors racism, and we must continue to call it out.

“I think one of the most concerning things we’ve seen is the very young age of those that have been involved in some of this racist activity.”

Speaking today, the Ireland India Council said that Harris was “very supportive”, and added that he will attend India day celebrations when the event goes ahead.

Additional reporting from Eimer McAuley and Andrew Walsh