VP Radhakrishnan flags off Har Ghar Tiranga rally, calls Vande Mataram driving force in freedom struggle

New Delhi: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday flagged off the special Bike Rally from New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, along with Members of Parliament, as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

The Ministry of Culture organises this campaign to mark Independence Day and commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.

Speaking at the event, VP Radhakrishnan said that Vande Mataram became the driving force in the struggle to end colonial rule in India.

“I am filled with deep emotion addressing you all as we commemorate the 150 years of our national song ‘Vande Mataram’. These two words ‘Vande Mataram’ ignited the burning patriotism in the minds of every Indian during those days that was the root cause for removing the colonial raj from our mother Bharat,” the Vice President said.

“Our freedom struggle was an awakening of the Indian mind, spirit and consciousness. It united people across regions, languages, faiths and social backgrounds through a shared dream of freedom, a shared dream of one India. These expressions capture the awakening as powerfully as Vande Mataram, which no other single expression has captured the awakening among the Indians,” he added.

VP Radhakrishnan also recalled his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, when he hoisted the Tricolour at Flag Point in Sri Vijaya Puram, kicking off the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. Sri Vijaya Puram’s Flag Point is the site where freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the National Flag on December 30, 1943, declaring the Andaman and Nicobar Islands free from British rule.

The bike rally presented a strong display of patriotism, as participants waved the Tricolour, reaffirming their commitment to the progress and unity of the nation.

Several MPs, participating in the Bike Rally, called on the citizens to actively participate in the campaign.

Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Yogender Chandolia said, “Today, there is a bike rally… In Delhi, all the Union Ministers of the Government of India, all MPs and the youth will participate in this bike rally today. This will give a message, and this message will go far. This message will reach Jharkhand that the youth of the country are united under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, speaking to IANS during the event, said that the Tricolour is not merely the national flag, but “a symbol of the resolve of 1.4 billion Indians”.

“It represents our aspirations and ambitions. Through today’s bike rally and Tiranga Yatra, we pay tribute to the generation on whose shoulders we stand, the freedom fighters whose supreme sacrifices made it possible for the Tricolour to fly proudly today. At the same time, we celebrate the coming generation, which is both the future and the leadership of our nation,” Swaraj said.

The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign was launched under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav with the objective of encouraging citizens to bring the national flag into their homes and hoist the Tiranga as part of the celebrations marking India’s Independence.

The campaign was based on the idea that people’s relationship with the national flag had traditionally remained more formal and institutional, rather than becoming a personal expression of national pride.

By encouraging citizens to bring the flag home, the initiative sought to transform the Tiranga into a symbol of a personal connection with the nation while also representing a collective commitment towards nation-building and national unity.

This year, ‘Har Ghar Tiranga 2026’ is being dedicated to the spirit of 150 Years of Vande Mataram, celebrating patriotism, pride in the Tiranga and the deep love for the motherland reflected in India’s National Song.

IANS