Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen on transformed the nationwide Har Ghar Tiranga campaign into a massive festival of patriotism and national pride in Kangpokpi district on India's Independence Day, as more than 300 bikers from different communities took part in a spectacular Tiranga Bike Rally spanning nearly 60 Kilometres.
The rally, organised and hosted under the leadership of the Deputy Chief Minister, carried the message of national unity, peace and shared citizenship across Sadar Hills, with participants proudly displaying the Tricolour on their motorcycles as they traversed the strategically important route from Kangpokpi district headquarters towards Gamgiphai and onward to Keithelmanbi Military Colony in the Champhai Sub-Division.
The massive participation of bikers from different communities gave the celebration a powerful message of solidarity, with the Tricolour becoming a common symbol of patriotism cutting across community lines.
Adding further grandeur to the celebrations, a giant 80-foot-long Tricolour was carried by students in a nearly one-kilometre-long procession from Brigadier M. Thomas Ground towards Downtown Kangpokpi.
The celebrations formally began at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, where a ceremonial flag-hoisting was organised under the aegis of the BJP Sadar Hills.
Thangjamang Kipgen, President, BJP Sadar Hills gave a brief address on Har Ghar Tiranga and Independence Day before the Deputy Chief Minister, Nemcha Kipgen unfurled the National Flag amid the gathering, following which the National Song and National Anthem were rendered with full honour. The gathering joined in singing the patriotic compositions, marking the occasion with solemnity and national pride.
The programme then moved to Brigadier M. Thomas Ground, where the Deputy Chief Minister flagged off the Har Ghar Tiranga Bike Rally after briefing on safety and traffic protocols by the authorities concerned.
She was accompanied by Joel G Haokip, Joint Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister's Office and Joint Secretary, TA & Hills, with additional charge of RD & PR, the Deputy Commissioner of Kangpokpi, Superintendent of Police, Kangpokpi, BJP leaders and karyakartas, besides representatives of various civil society organisations.
Addressing the gathering, Kipgen delivered a strong Independence Day message, calling upon the people to treat the Tricolour not merely as a national symbol but as a living expression of India's unity, dignity and collective responsibility.
“The Tricolour belongs to every Indian. It does not belong to a particular community, region or political party. It belongs to every heart that believes in India, every citizen who dreams of a peaceful future and every young person who carries the hope of a stronger nation,” she said.
She said Har Ghar Tiranga should not remain confined to a ceremonial campaign but should become a people's movement that inspires every household to celebrate the country's independence with pride and responsibility.
“Today, we are not simply carrying a flag; we are carrying the sacrifices of our freedom fighters, the hopes of our children and the promise that we will build an India that is stronger, more united and more peaceful,” Kipgen said.
She called upon the people, particularly the youth, to carry the spirit of Independence Day beyond August 15 and translate patriotism into responsible citizenship, respect for one another and commitment to the progress of society.
“Let the Tricolour rise above every division. Let it remind us that before our differences, we are Indians. Let every home become a home of pride, every street become a street of unity and every young heart become an ambassador of peace and nation-building,” she said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the unprecedented participation in the rally demonstrated that patriotism could bring people together even amid challenges and differences.
She urged the youth to become the driving force behind India's journey towards a developed, self-reliant and stronger nation.
“India's future is not somewhere far ahead; it is being built by us today. Our youth must dream boldly, work honestly and refuse to allow hatred or division to decide our future. The Tiranga we carry today must become the flag of our determination every day,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
More than a ceremonial Independence Day programme, the event emerged as a roaring public celebration of patriotism, with the Tricolour becoming the central symbol of unity, youthful energy and collective national pride across Sadar Hills.
The celebrations in Kangpokpi, marked by the 60-km bike rally, the giant Tricolour procession and participation from diverse sections of society, gave the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign a distinctly mass character and turned Independence Day into a vibrant festival of patriotism, unity and public participation.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
