‘Har Ghar Tiranga’: Kashmir draped in national colours as Tiranga rallies held across Valley ahead of Independence Day
The national flag took centrestage across Kashmir Valley on Tuesday as a series of Tiranga rallies unfolded in multiple districts, part of the Centre’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign ahead of the 78th Independence Day celebrations. In Srinagar, a prominent rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s local unit commenced from the Hazratbal area, winding its way through the lakeside thoroughfares towards the old city’s downtown precincts. Participants, including party workers, youth groups, and local residents, carried oversized flags and chanted patriotic slogans, visibly draping the boulevards of the summer capital in a sea of saffron, white, and green. The event was one of several such processions held simultaneously across the Valley’s main townships, signifying a concerted push to amplify the campaign’s reach in the sensitive region.
The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative, first launched in 2022 to commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, encourages citizens to hoist the national flag at their residences, workplaces, and institutions. In Jammu and Kashmir, the campaign has historically carried profound political weight, with successive administrations viewing it as a tool to reinforce national identity and counter separatist narratives. This year’s edition has been particularly robust, with local administration, educational bodies, and civil society groups actively participating in flag hoisting ceremonies at panchayat levels and urban neighbourhoods. The rallies come at a time when the Union Territory has witnessed a notable decline in street protests and stone, pelting incidents, allowing for more visible expressions of nationalism in public spaces that were once flashpoints of unrest.
The Srinagar rally’s route was carefully chosen, threading from the revered Hazratbal shrine area on the northern banks of Dal Lake to the congested lanes of downtown, a region that has historically been a hotbed of political dissent. Organisers stated that the procession was intended to send a clear message of unity and constitutional patriotism, with many marchers wearing tricolour masks, caps, and badges. Local media footage showed shopkeepers and onlookers clapping and some offering water to the marchers, while security personnel maintained a watchful presence at strategic intersections. No untoward incidents were reported during the demonstrations, officials confirmed, adding that the atmosphere remained peaceful and largely cooperative.
The reactions from the ground have been mixed but notably more receptive than in previous years, with several first, time participants describing the experience as a civic duty rather than a political statement. Senior BJP leaders from the Kashmir division addressed the marchers on Tuesday, emphasising the importance of the tricolour as a symbol of integrity and development under the current governance framework. However, some local political observers noted that the rallies, while visually striking, are unlikely to sway deeply entrenched ideological positions in the Valley, where the Kashmiri identity question remains a potent undercurrent. The broader national mood, nonetheless, has been one of celebration, with the campaign gaining traction across social media platforms through user, generated photos of flags atop homes and shops.
This display of national fervour must be viewed within the larger trajectory of post, 2019 changes in Jammu and Kashmir, following the abrogation of Article 370 that altered the region’s constitutional status. Since then, the administration has systematically organised events like Republic Day parades, sports meets, and cultural festivals in the Valley, aiming to normalise public life and integrate the region more fully with the rest of India. The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign in Kashmir is thus part of a broader strategy of territorial and emotional integration, moving beyond mere security management to cultural shaping. At the same time, the increased visibility of the flag in markets and villages reflects a gradual demographic shift, where younger generations, educated under the current curriculum, express less ambivalence about national symbols.
Historically, the tricolour has had a complex relationship with Kashmir, having been hoisted during the Dogra era, championed by the National Conference’s founder Sheikh Abdullah in the 1930s, and often used as a rallying point by the Indian Army during counter, insurgency operations. In the 1990s and 2000s, waving the national flag in public was considered a high, risk act in many parts of the Valley, with militants explicitly targeting those who displayed it. The contrast today is stark: large rallies pass through Hazratbal and downtown without incident, and flag vendors report brisk business in the weeks leading up to August 15. This transformation, while undeniable, is also fragile, with security agencies remaining on high alert for potential disruption by sleeper cells of armed groups that still operate sporadically across the southern districts.
Looking ahead, the administration plans to extend the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ momentum by organising similar events in far, flung areas like Kupwara, Baramulla, and Shopian over the coming days, culminating in a grand flag hoisting at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar on Independence Day. Officials anticipate that this year’s campaign will culminate in the largest display of Indian flags in the Valley’s history, with distribution of tens of thousands of cloth flags to households in rural belts. The long, term impact remains uncertain, with experts debating whether such symbolic gestures will translate into durable political reconciliation or merely create a temporary veneer of normalcy. For now, the imagery of Kashmir’s minarets and houseboats juxtaposed against the fluttering tricolour serves as a powerful, if contested, metaphor for New Delhi’s ambitions in its northernmost territory. The coming week will test the sustainability of this enthusiasm as the region prepares for its most significant national holiday since 2019.
