New Delhi: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday flagged off the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ bike rally featuring Members of Parliament and other public representatives at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marking 150 years of the National Song, Vande Mataram.
The rally proceeded from Bharat Mandapam to Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, carrying the message of national pride, unity and citizen participation.
Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan said Vande Mataram transformed love for the motherland into a national duty and became a powerful expression of India’s freedom struggle. He recalled how the song inspired generations of freedom fighters with courage, sacrifice and hope.
Referring to his recent visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Vice-President recalled Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s hoisting of the Tricolour in 1943 and the sacrifices of freedom fighters imprisoned in the Cellular Jail. He said many of them went to the gallows with the cry of Vande Mataram.
Radhakrishnan also highlighted the contribution of freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, including V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, Subramaniya Siva, Tiruppur Kumaran and Vanchinathan, along with national poet Subramania Bharati, in spreading the spirit of Vande Mataram.
He said the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, has evolved into a people’s movement through Tiranga yatras, bike and cycle rallies and cultural programmes.
The Vice-President urged MPs and public representatives to promote the campaign in their constituencies and encourage citizens to proudly hoist the National Flag.
Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Virendra Kumar, G. Kishan Reddy, Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh, along with several MPs and public representatives, participated in the rally.
