Har Ghar Tiranga Begins: VP Unfurls Tricolour in Andamans as PM Urges Mass Participation

India's flag came to the fore of the national conversation on Sunday as Vice President C P Radhakrishnan formally launched this year's Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyaan from the historic Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens across the country to join the campaign with enthusiasm.

Addressing a gathering at the DBRAIT Auditorium in Sri Vijaya Puram, Radhakrishnan declared that "Bharat is one and will always remain one," invoking the words of Tamil poet Subramania Bharati to underline the unity the Tricolour represents. He chose the island territory deliberately, noting its deep ties to India's freedom struggle, from the "Kalapani" sufferings endured by prisoners at the Cellular Jail, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Batukeshwar Dutt and Sachindra Nath Sanyal, to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's historic flag-hoisting at the same location. The launch also coincided with Quit India Movement Day, marking Mahatma Gandhi's "Do or Die" call of August 8, 1942.

The Andamans hold a special place in India's flag history. It was here, at Port Blair, that Netaji hoisted the Tricolour for the first time on liberated Indian soil on December 30, 1943, after arriving as head of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind and declaring the islands free from British rule, years before India's independence in 1947. He renamed Andaman as "Shaheed" (Martyrs) and Nicobar as "Swaraj" (Freedom) island. The spot, once called Ross Island and now preserved as Flag Point, saw Radhakrishnan hoist the National Flag on Sunday in a symbolic echo of that historic moment.

The Vice President described the islands as a "Mini India," where communities from across the country, along with six tribal groups including five Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, live together in a living example of "unity in diversity." He also highlighted development strides in the Union Territory, including improved submarine optical-fibre connectivity, the new terminal at Veer Savarkar International Airport and the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, while stressing that a strong India seeks not to dominate others but simply to never be dictated to.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi added his voice to the campaign in a post on X, calling the Tricolour a "constant source of inspiration" and urging citizens to renew their resolve toward building a Viksit Bharat. He noted that this year's edition is dedicated to the national song "Vande Mataram," coinciding with its 150th anniversary.

First launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the campaign's growing reach can also be seen in its digital participation, though the figures have fluctuated rather than risen every year. More than 6 crore Tiranga selfies were uploaded in 2022, rising to over 10 crore in 2023, before dipping to more than 5 crore in 2024 and recovering to 7.50 crore in 2025. While these figures cannot be treated as a precise measure of total participation, they underline the campaign's broad public reach since its launch. The 2026 edition began on August 6 and will run nationwide through August 17.