Hyderabad: Patriotic ardour sees sales of tricolour surge in city

Hyderabad: The city will witness celebrations to mark the 76th year of independence on Tuesday. With the Centre, launching the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign and encouraging people to bring the tri-colour home, offices and schools and other educational institutions, the sales of the national flag surge in the city. Patriotic fervour is in the air; national flags are everywhere marking the conclusion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The campaign, ‘Har GharTiranga’ aims to encourage people to celebrate the Independence Day by bringing the national flag home and hoisting it. It has helped boost the demand for tri-colour; traders are witnessing a surge in order and sales.

The markets and roads are decorated with flags. At major junctions, roadside traders are seen selling flags and badges. Befitting the large-scale national festivity, traders at Risala Bazaar market, Mozamjahi Market and Secunderabad General Bazar are busy. Huge rush is seen at both markets. The public is coming to the market to purchase decoration items, national flags, tri-colour badges, among others.

A trader at General Bazar said since last year, following the celebrations of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the ‘Har GharTiranga’ campaign by the government, the demand for tri-colour flags has soared manifold. “As a part of the celebrations, people, especially youngsters, are purchasing flags in bulk, as also educational institutions, offices. As if they are taking part in rallies and marching on I-day,” said Narendra, a shopkeeper at Secunderabad. As compared to orders delivered in previous years, the demand for national lag has increased since last year; we have increased orders to manufacturers owing to demand,” he said. The flags here start from Rs 30 depending on size and material.” The price of national flag has also increased. Manufacturers supply it to government agencies who placed big orders directly due to national and State- level celebrations,” said Syeed Ahmed, a shopkeeper at Risala Bazar.

Children at Risala Bazar lined up to purchase some material to decorate classrooms. Sweet shops across the city have special orders. The shop-owners are busy taking orders and putting in more hours to complete them. “Orders for packets containing khara and mithai are more,” said Dinesh, owner of Balaji MithayiBhandar, Begum Bazar.

Padmavati, who is employed in a self-help group at Amberpet, also makes flags, says, “we often prepare spices, papads or bags, but since last year we got the task of making national flag. We are a group of some 15 women who have been making flags. So far, we have made and sold more than 5,000 flags. This helped us to provide employment too,” she added.

The Department of Posts has taken up the project on sale of national flags under the campaign from post offices. The cost of each flag is only Rs 25 available at all post offices. The department claimed it has received very good response. Several corporate houses and officials said they have undertaken special efforts to celebrate and promote the campaign.