Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan launches ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan’ in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The launch of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' by Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on August 9, 2026, at Flag Point, Sri Vijaya Puram, in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, is a deeply symbolic event that intertwines India's freedom struggle, constitutional patriotism, and contemporary strategic imperatives. The date itself — August 9 — marks 'August Kranti Diwas', commemorating the launch of the Quit India Movement in 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi gave the clarion call of 'Do or Die' at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. This movement, though brutally suppressed, became the final mass upsurge that made British rule untenable. By choosing this date and this location, the Vice-President connected the present campaign to the very crucible of India's independence. The historical weight of Flag Point is immense. On December 30, 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as the Head of State of the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind), hoisted the Indian Tricolour here, declaring the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as the first territory freed from British rule. He renamed them 'Shaheed' and 'Swaraj' Islands. This act was not merely symbolic; it represented a sovereign claim by an Indian government-in-exile, backed by the Indian National Army (INA) and recognized by several Axis powers. The islands, long known as 'Kala Pani' — the dreaded penal settlement where the British exiled political prisoners — were thus reclaimed in the imagination of free India. The Cellular Jail, where Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Batukeshwar Dutt, and countless revolutionaries endured inhumane conditions, stands as a national memorial today. The Vice-President's tribute to Savarkar and other 'Kala Pani' martyrs underscores the continuity of sacrifice across ideological strands of the freedom movement. The 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022 as part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' (75th year of Independence), seeks to transform the National Flag from a formal state symbol into a personal, emotional connection for every citizen. The Flag Code of India, 2002 (as amended in 2021 and 2022), now permits the display of the Tricolour by private citizens on all days, not just national holidays, provided dignity is maintained. This reflects a broader constitutional philosophy: Article 51A(a) of the Constitution, under Fundamental Duties, enjoins every citizen to 'abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.' The campaign operationalizes this duty through mass participation. Strategically, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are India's southeastern sentinel, dominating the Malacca Strait and the Six Degree and Ten Degree Channels — critical global shipping lanes. The Great Nicobar Island Development Project, referenced by the Vice-President, aims to build a transshipment port, international airport, township, and power plant. While promising enhanced maritime domain awareness, economic integration with Southeast Asia (Act East Policy), and strategic depth, it also raises ecological concerns regarding the islands' unique biodiversity and indigenous tribes like the Shompen and Nicobarese. Balancing development with conservation under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956, remains a governance challenge. The Vice-President's assertion — 'India has always been generous, but our generosity should never be mistaken for weakness' — signals a nuanced foreign policy posture: civilizational magnanimity coupled with credible deterrence. This aligns with the 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and India's role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific. In essence, the event at Sri Vijaya Puram was not just a flag-hoisting; it was a convergence of history, constitutional duty, strategic vision, and national identity. For aspirants, it encapsulates how symbolic nationalism, institutional memory, and geopolitical foresight are woven into contemporary governance.