Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) More than one lakh citizens joined Ahmedabad’s Tiranga Yatra on Wednesday as the city marked the run-up to Independence Day with a procession from Raypur to Sarangpur, carrying the Tricolour and paying tribute to the country’s armed forces.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi flagged off the yatra from Raipur by unfurling the national flag.
The procession was organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign as part of Independence Day celebrations and to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram.
The yatra had earlier been scheduled for August 11 but was rescheduled to August 12. Minister of State for Urban Development, Darshana Vaghela, also participated in the procession.
Speaking at the event, Sanghavi said: “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from villages to metropolises, there is only one colour of patriotism today… the colour of the Tricolour.”
“Soldiers continued to stand firm to protect the country in extreme heat, torrential rain, severe cold and other difficult circumstances,” he added.
He said citizens had a responsibility to express their gratitude to soldiers and their families and appealed to people to salute their courage and carry the message of patriotism across the country with slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
Sanghavi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign had turned it into a nationwide people’s movement, with people ranging from children to senior citizens and residents of villages and cities participating with the national flag.
The Deputy CM described the participation of young people, women and elderly citizens in Ahmedabad’s procession as a reflection of the city’s patriotic spirit.
Sanghavi also urged citizens to maintain the dignity of the national flag. “The Tricolour should always be kept flying high, and care should be taken to ensure that it does not fall on the road, even accidentally. After the procession, citizens should fold the flag properly, take it home respectfully and preserve it appropriately,” he said.
The procession began from the Big Bazaar-Raypur area and passed through several parts of the old city before concluding at Sarangpur.
The route was decorated in the colours of the Tricolour, with 11 welcome stages set up at locations including Raipur Char Rasta, Khadia Gate and Sarangpur Char Rasta.
Patriotic songs and cultural performances were held at the stages, including renditions of ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ and ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’. Teachers from the Ahmedabad School Board carried a 300-foot-long national flag during the yatra.
Police platoons, State Reserve Police personnel, the police band, fire department personnel, Home Guards, students and teachers accompanied by a scout band, sportspersons, and representatives of different communities and organisations also took part.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) also prepared theme-based tableaux highlighting cleanliness, the environment, patriotism and the city’s development, which formed part of the procession.
The yatra concluded at Sarangpur with a fireworks display. Sanghavi and other dignitaries paid floral tribute to the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and recalled his contribution to nation-building.
–IANS
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