Proud to call people of India our friends: US Congressman

Proud to call the people of India as America's friends, an influential US Congressman has said he is excited for the United States' relationship with India to continue flourishing, as it has for the last 75 years.

India's commitment to democracy and self-government has been unwavering in the past decades, and its future today is ''brighter than ever before'', Congressman John Carter said on the House floor on Wednesday.

''I am excited for America's relationship with India to continue flourishing, as it has for the past 75 years, and I am proud to call the people of India our friends,'' he said.

''Mr Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's independence from the British empire,'' he said.

''On August 15, 1947, Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act, officially establishing India as a sovereign nation after nearly 90 years under the Raj,'' he said.

''This act of Parliament marked the creation of the largest democracy in history, responsible for governing a nation over a billion strong,'' Carter said.

Though it may not seem like it at first glance, the US and India share much in common, he said, adding that the national identities of the two countries were both forged from a rejection of British rule by crown or company.

''We both recognise the vital importance of autonomy, of independence, and freedom from foreign rulers,'' Carter said.