A date on the calendar generally tells a single story. But for the Indian diaspora in Australia, 26 January holds two. It is Australia Day here, and India’s Republic Day back home—a single date carrying layered meanings of memory, discomfort, gratitude and questions of belonging.
The Indian Sun spoke to five Indian Australians across generations to understand what this day stirs in them, how the idea of “home” and “heart” has shifted over time, and what they want the next generation to understand about identity.
For some, the coincidence of the date itself feels striking. Mohan Yellishetty, Professor of Resources Engineering at Monash University, describes 26 January as “remarkable”, not just because it marks two national days, but because it reflects a shared history. “This coincidence speaks to a deeply shared past,” he says, pointing to the Commonwealth connection that continues to shape ties between India and Australia today.
That sense of dual belonging is something Yellishetty carries visibly and proudly. He often wears a logo featuring both national flags and keeps them behind him during public appearances. For him, the phrase “Australia is home, India is heart” is deeply personal. He describes the two countries as his Janma Bhoomi and Karma Bhoomi—the place of his birth and the land where his work and purpose have flourished.
If he had to explain his identity simply, he puts it this way: “I am carrying India in my heart and Australia in my everyday life.”
For others, the day brings more complicated emotions. Kabir Gandhi, a Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Melbourne, voices a feeling familiar to many who have grown up between worlds. “26 January marks both Australia Day and India’s Republic Day, but for me it marks more divide than celebration,” he says.
He describes a quiet tension—memories of India as “a distant blur”, alongside the feeling that he can “never truly be fully accepted as an Australian”.
“Whilst India will always have a place in my heart, Australia has been my home for the majority of my life,” he reflects, adding that it is “almost impossible to imagine living in India again”.
Writer and IT professional Manmeet Singh Bedi sees the same date through a different lens. For him, 26 January feels layered rather than divided. It carries “pride, gratitude, and also reflection”, a reminder that identity does not have to be simple.
He sees no conflict in holding two national stories at once. Instead, the day prompts a deeper question: not just where we come from, but “how we belong and how we contribute”.
The phrase “Australia is home, India is heart” resonates with Bedi too, though he notes that the balance shifts over time. Earlier in life, India’s pull felt stronger. “Over time, as I’ve built a life, family and work here, Australia has become deeply rooted in my sense of self,” he says. Today, the two feel intertwined—“the heart informs how I live at home”.
For some, 26 January also brings moments of visible celebration, where the two identities meet with joy. Diana Desmier, a mother of two, recalls her daughters performing the Australian National Anthem at the Australian Open on this date. “It was a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a multicultural and inclusive Australia.”
Having moved to Australia at the age of 14, her sense of home has firmly settled here, while India remains the keeper of her “earliest childhood memories”.
As part of the Anglo-Indian community, Desmier says navigating identity has long been part of her lived experience. She sees this dual heritage as a strength, telling the next generation: “We embody the best of both worlds.”
Himanshi Munshaw Luhar, founder and director of Foodie Trails and an event curator, also speaks with optimism. While 26 January marks celebration for her, it also brings reflection, particularly as she has learned more about Australia’s First Nations history. “I look forward to a future where we can celebrate this country in a way that is meaningful and unifying for everyone who calls it home.”
Like many migrants, Australia did not feel like home immediately. “It took about two years,” Himanshi recalls. Two decades later, that sense of belonging feels settled. India, however, remains the heart—kept alive through family, memories and the taste of childhood food.
If there is one message that runs through all these voices, it is that identity does not need to be neatly divided. For the Indian diaspora, 26 January is less about choosing between two countries, and more about learning how to carry both—in memory, in daily life, and in the stories passed on to the next generation.
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