Srinagar: The BJP-led Central government's “Har Ghar Tiranga” (hoist the tricolor atop every house) campaign to mark 75 years of Independence has courted controversy in Kashmir with officials asking shopkeepers and students to pay Rs 20 per head for the flags. Citizens across the country have been asked by the Centre to unfurl the national flag atop their houses from August 13 to 15.
PM Modi, who himself put the tricolor as his Twitter profile photo on Tuesday, has asked people to share their pictures with tricolour on social media. According to the Union home ministry, which is the nodal agency for the campaign, the initiative is aimed at invoking “patriotism in the hearts of the people and to promote awareness about the Indian national flag”.
However, the issue has turned controversial in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Reports emerged from Anantnag, Baramulla, Udhampur, and other districts of Jammu and Kashmir over orders from officials directing shopkeepers and students to pay Rs 20 as a ''deposit fee" for the tricolour to be unfurled. The controversial circular for schools was later withdrawn after the order went viral on social media.
In a viral video, officials of municipal committee Bijbehara in south Kashmir's Anantnag were seen making announcements and threatening shopkeepers that “in case they failed to deposit the amount their licenses may get canceled”. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir hit out at the LG Manoj Sinha administration over the matter.
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Member Parliament Farooq Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, NC leader Omar Abdullah, CPI (M) leader Yusuf Tarigami, among others slammed the campaign, saying “patriotism comes naturally and can’t be imposed”. Farooq Abdullah while strongly reacting to the Centre's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign said, "Keep it (the tricolor) on your house."
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, in a tweet, said, "The manner in which J&K admin is forcing students, shopkeepers & employees to pay for the national flag to hoist it is as if Kashmir is an enemy territory that needs to be captured. Patriotism comes naturally & can’t be imposed." In another tweet, she questioned the administration’s decision to make a lower rung government employee, who had reportedly issued a diktat to collect the funds for the flags “a scapegoat for the decision”.
"Unfortunately a lower rung government employee who announced the diktat to hoist the Indian flag was fired & will bear the brunt of an atrocious order passed by higher-ups. FYI here is another directive asking students to purchase the national flag for Har Ghar Tiranga (sic)," she tweeted. After Mehbooba’s tweets, a senior district official clarified that the flag campaign was purely voluntary and the circular was withdrawn.
“The decision had been taken without my permission and the person responsible - the announcer - has been suspended,” Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Piyush Singla said. On July 23, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P K Pole too clarified that the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign was a voluntary movement and there was no compulsion in it.
However, the spokesperson of People Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and CPI(M) leader Tarigami questioned the claims of the administration that the campaign was voluntary. “Div Com, Kashmir has said that #HarGharTiranga is a voluntary initiative. But on the other hand, local administration makes announcements on loudhailers asking traders to deposit Rs 20 to buy Tiranga, and non-compliance may result in action. Whose writ runs, I wonder?” Tarigami said in a tweet.
On Thursday, NC vice president Omar Abdullah said no one should have an objection to hoisting the national flag as part of the Centre's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, but there should be no compulsion as well. "Why should anyone have any objection to it? It is the country's flag, there is permission to hoist it at home. This is the government's mission and I do not think anyone should have any objection to it.
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The only difference is that there should be no compulsion. No one should forcibly stop anyone from hoisting it and in the same manner, no one should force anyone to hoist it," Omar said. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Sunday too weighed in on the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. Speaking at an attestation cum passing out parade of police constables in Ganderbal, the DGP said, “While the country wants 'Har Ghar Tiranga; in Kashmir, neighbouring Pakistan wants 'Har Ghar Matam (mourning in every home)."
He also thanked the people for supporting the initiative of hoisting the tricolour atop every home. J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina said that his party would provide national flags for hoisting by the common masses in J&K under the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon every Indian citizen to hoist Tiranga on the rooftops of the houses on the 75th year of Indian Independence from British rule.
BJP has also opened up a window at party headquarters in Trikuta Nagar so that the general masses could procure Tiranga with ease. This facility will also be extended to the party's district headquarters soon,“ Raina said. Meanwhile, the preparations for Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign is underway in Ladakh UT too. On Saturday, Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve chaired a meeting to review and discuss preparations for celebrations of the Har Ghar Tiranga event.
He informed that as many as 50,000 flags would be provided by the Centre while an additional 18,000 flags will be made available by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department with the help of Self Help Groups and local artisans and 25,000 by the Culture Department. The DC instructed AD Tourism to ensure the hoisting of the National Flag at all commercial buildings like hotels, shops, and other business establishments.
