Independence day Tiranga Yatra to be a reason to bind together or an excuse to showcase?
With just few weeks to go for the country to celebrate its 70th anniversary of Independence day planning reaches fever pitch at the offices of Information and Broadcast Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Culture Minster Dr Mahesh Sharma, who have been appointed to overlook the celebrations.
The celebrations which were formally discussed at the BJP Parliamentary meet saw Prime Minister Modi hinting at something that drew visibility towards the work done by the government.
The week long celebrations running from August 15th – August 22 would include the Tiranga yatra, rallies with MP’s from the BJP fold touring their respective constituencies on a two-wheeler with the national flag.
Modi also wanted the BJP Parliamentarians to inform the people of the 70 achievements of the government on its completion of two years.
The move comes in the backdrop of issues that have grabbed the attention of the media within the country and overseas. The ongoing unrest in the valleys of the Jammu and Kashmir, the debate on media ban in Kashmir, the suspected deflection of the missing Kerala youth to the IS and the fresh burst of violence in Bihar which saw the CRPF lose 11 members of its team in an attack by the Maoists.
The suggestion for the Tiranga Yatra came from Prime Minister Modi who wanted the MP’s to carry out the yatra to help instill a spirit of unity and pride among the youth of the country.
The idea found support for it from various quarters including BJP MP Anurag Thakur, one of the younger parliamentarians who said that the indian flag was not just a cloth but had immense power to unite crores of indians.
Discussions on the Tiranga Yatra find often find its way with the one that Uma Bharti led in Karnataka that eventually led to an arrest warrant being issued to her for violating prohibitory orders issued by the Hubli police.
Nevertheless, the idea of a Tiranga Yatra which is been seen as the icing on the cake is going to be no cake walk. Health concerns and age would pose a challenge to riding the two- wheelers while holding the national flag skyward.
While on the move, the MPs are also expected to enlighten the people of their respective constituencies of the achievements and developments by the government.
The rally is being undertaken with the hope of instilling a nationalist fervour, optimissim in the functioning of the government, its achievements in the past two years and also gain ground. The party’s propaganda machinery is expected to be revved up to full force and veiled humbly as steps required to instill nationalism.
