New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) In a first-of-its-kind initiative, over 50 Indian missions from Fiji to San Francisco will sequentially be part of an innovative campaign as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme, under which images of the tricolour will be “digitally relayed” from east to west across multiple time zones.
Named ‘Suryapath Tiranga’, the campaign will coincide and celebrate India’s 80th Independence Day.
The government will host a series of thematic events across the country under ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme from August 9-17, including ‘Selfie with Tiranga’, bike rally, musical performances by military bands and mass singing of Vande Mataram, and recording by people of their karaoke-style rendition of the National Song with the aid of a dedicated portal, to celebrate its 150 years, officials said on Thursday.
Besides celebrations at home, Indian missions and posts abroad are also gearing up to take part in this annual programme — whose first edition took place in August 2022, which had then also marked the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
‘Suryapath Tiranga’ will be a “special event” and a “very innovative way of celebrating our flag, our honour and our pride”, External Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a curtain-raiser press conference hosted here by the culture ministry.
Fifty-four missions of India, high commissions, embassies and consulates will be part of this new campaign, and these have been chosen based on the technicality and the time zone difference between one station and another, he said.
“The digital relay (of the tricolour’s image) will start from Fiji, the easternmost place where we have our diplomatic presence, and will go on to our westernmost presence, our consulate in San Francisco,” Jaiswal added.
As Fiji is a few hours ahead of India in terms of time difference, the MEA spokesperson said that when the flag-hoisting will take place at the Indian mission in Fiji, it will be about midnight here in India, and the mission will then pass the images from one country to the other in a sequential chain from east to west, he said.
Indian missions have geared up with the ‘Bharat Ko Jano’ quiz, exhibition, painting competition, workshops on art forms such as Gond art, Warli art and Madhubani art in partnership with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and Vande Mataram’s 150th anniversary will be reflected in these celebrations.
Jaiswal said that as every year, iconic monuments across the world will also be lit up to mark the anniversary of India’s Independence.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Vande Mataram’s 150th anniversary will be a key feature in this year’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme, and the National Song will be sung at various events.
“Most people in India know the National Anthem Jana Gana Mana by heart and can sing it within the stipulated duration. We are urging people to take part in the singing of Vande Mataram and record online their karaoke-style rendition of the National Song. The idea is to familiarise people with the full stanzas of Vande Mataram,” he said, while alleging that after Independence, the “original stanzas were fragmented” by the then government.
The opposition parties have argued that the ruling dispensation has attempted to pit the National Song against the National Anthem, while some members of these parties have alleged that mandatory singing of Vande Mataram at various events is a way to “force nationalism” on people.
Parliament recently passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by amending Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. It extends the same legal protection to the National Song, Vande Mataram, that is currently afforded to the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The amendment makes it an offence to intentionally prevent the singing of the National Song or to cause a disturbance to an assembly engaged in its singing.
Later, interacting with reporters, Shekhawat said these programmes will “generate immense energy, not only within the country but also among Indians across the globe and among foreigners who hold respect and affection for India”. PTI KND MNK MNK
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