<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000;">The larger tradition of India and Bangladesh has been of inclusion and humanity and we celebrate Bijoya in this spirit, says the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami. Addressing the gathering of Hindu, Christian and Buddhist  community people in Dhaka the High Commissioner said that the founding values of India and Bangladesh reflect the pluralistic spirit of South Asia which we must firmly defend at all costs. <br />''<br />''He was addressing a gathering of eminent persons from the Hindu, Christian and Buddhist communities during the 'Bijoya Sammelani' organised by the High Commission of India on Thursday in Dhaka.<br />'' <br />''Bangladesh State Minister for Local Government Swapon Bhattacharjee, MPs Aroma Dutta, Pankaj Debnath, Mrinal Kanti Das, Basanti Chakma, Biren Sikder, Narayan Chandra Chanda, Manoranjan Shil Gopal, and Ranjit Kumar Roy and <span id="m_4575876250155086928gmail-m_-6988826851510337578m_-9021818402867903635gmail-docs-internal-guid-82527517-7fff-b961-4a58-45d731fa6ef8" style="background-color: transparent;">community leaders, </span>scholars, civil servants, media and other eminent persons from Bangladesh were present on the occasion.<br />'' <br />''Vikram Doraiswami said that Bijoya reflects the inclusive, welcoming and generous Bangla spirit which inspired the liberation in 1971.  He said Bijoya is not just a religious event but it commemorates the socio-cultural roots of this part of the world. <br />''<br />''Calling it a special occasion as it marks 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh and 50 years of India-Bangladesh relations, he said it also marks the fact that culture and civilisation unite the two countries. <br />''<br />''Underlining similarities between India and Bangladesh, High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said that both the countries are able to reflect and celebrate diversity. Maintaining the spirit of diversity is the most important sign of our success as a nation, said the High Commissioner. <br />''<br />''Speaking about the events that took place in Bangladesh in the recent past, the High Commissioner said that what happened in the country was not the norm. He expressed the hope that the people and the government of Bangladesh will successfully combat this and show to the world that the unique spirit of Bangladesh remains strong. </span>