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The Indian Eye
EYE ON INDIA AUGUST 21, 2026 7

guage surrounding the celebrations. has appealed for broad public partic-
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, ipation.
after hoisting the national flag at his The sheer variety of these events
residence, called upon citizens to points to how the idea of Indepen-
“celebrate patriotism” by displaying dence Day has expanded. The cele-
the Tricolour. He described the flag bration is no longer confined to the
as a symbol of national pride and uni- flag being raised at government build-
ty and encouraged people to join the ings or to the Prime Minister’s address
campaign by uploading photographs from the Red Fort. It is increasingly
of themselves with the flag. being transformed into a participato-
Shah has also framed the cam- ry public spectacle — on roads, cam-
paign as a means of strengthening puses, lakes and social media.
patriotism and the idea of ‘Ek Bharat, The Bharatiya Janata Party has
Shreshtha Bharat’. The emphasis is also organised Tiranga Yatras and Ti-
therefore not simply on ceremonial ranga Abhiyan programmes between
flag-hoisting but on creating a sense August 9 and 15. Union Minister JP
of shared national participation. Nadda said the objective was to in-
Perhaps the most significant fea- volve people in patriotic activities and
ture of this year’s celebrations is the connect the sentiment of national
effort to bring young Indians into the pride with the goals of self-reliance
centre of the patriotic narrative. and development.
At Banaras Hindu University in This political involvement is sig-
Varanasi, students and National Ser- nificant because it shows how patrio-
vice Scheme volunteers took part in tism has become an important part of
a Tiranga rally that moved through the political vocabulary surrounding
the university campus. Participants Independence Day. Yet the broad-
carried the national flag and raised er campaign extends beyond party
patriotic slogans. Vice-Chancellor politics. Schools, universities, local
Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi de- administrations, cultural institutions
scribed Independence Day as a festi- and ordinary citizens are participating
val that belongs to the entire country in events that use the Tricolour as a
rather than to any particular institu- common national symbol.
tion or household. The challenge, however, is to en-
The university’s messaging went sure that patriotism does not become
beyond remembrance. Students were merely a visual exercise.
urged to draw inspiration from the A flag outside every home, a ral-
sacrifices of freedom fighters and to ly through a city or a photograph on
contribute actively to society and na- School students carry the Tricolour flags during a Tiranga Yatra in Shimla on Thursday. (ANI Photo) social media can create a powerful
tional development. The university sense of participation. But the deep-
also linked today’s youth with the vi- In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on the water, while the chief minister er meaning of independence lies in
sion of a developed India by 2047. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav partic- described the event as a reflection of what follows the celebration. The call
That attempt to connect the free- ipated in a ‘Tiranga Boat Yatra’ on India’s spirit and resolve. The state from organisers across the country is
dom struggle with the future is being the Upper Lake. People carrying the is conducting the Har Ghar Tiranga increasingly that young people should
repeated elsewhere. national flag created a striking display campaign from August 9 to 17 and translate patriotic sentiment into civic
In Markapuram in Andhra responsibility, social contribution and
Pradesh, students and young people national development.
participated in a Tiranga rally car- India’s 80th Independence Day
rying a 330-foot-long national flag. therefore arrives amid an unusual
The event was organised around the combination of remembrance and
theme ‘Youth for Viksit Bharat’, with ambition. The country is looking back
organisers stressing that young Indi- at the sacrifices that made freedom
ans would be central to the country’s possible, while political and institu-
future. A cycle rally was also planned tional messaging is firmly focused on
as part of the continuing celebrations. what India should become by 2047.
In neighbouring NTR district, The patriotic wave sweeping the
another major rally brought together country ahead of August 15 may ulti-
students and young people. District mately be measured not by the num-
officials said the objective was to moti- ber of flags displayed or rallies held,
vate citizens to reflect on India’s jour- but by whether the emotion generat-
ney since independence while also ed by them survives beyond Indepen-
looking towards the centenary of free- dence Day.
dom. The period leading up to 2047, For now, however, the message is
they argued, should be used to build visible almost everywhere: the Trico-
awareness and encourage collective lour is flying, Vande Mataram is be-
participation in national development. ing remembered, young Indians are
The celebrations are also taking School students parents and teachers hold the national flag and participate in the ‘Abhinav being mobilised and the language of
patriotic expression beyond conven- Bharat Yatra Vande Mataram’ as part of the Tiranga Yatra, in Ahmedabad on Thursday (ANI Photo) patriotism is once again dominating
tional rallies. the public space.

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