THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : As India prepares to celebrate its 78th Independence Day, shopkeepers in Thiruvananthapuram are busy. Well, not very, as the Wayanad landslide and the subsequent cancelling of several rallies have dampened sales a bit, they say.
Otherwise, this is the time of the year when there is a surge in demand for national flags, tri-colour themed shirts, skirts, and various other sorts of merchandise.
Yet there was a patriotic fervour that was felt from corner shops to large malls. National flags of various sizes and materials, from table tops to phone cases, were on display, especially clothing for children with a tri-colour theme.
“Though the Wayanad landslides and the rain have delayed the sales, there has been an increase in our business in the past few days,” says Ramesh P, a street vendor.
Another shopkeeper, Harish, shares, “The government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative has played a big role in the sale of flags. After 2022, there has been a good share of business. It is not only on the August 15, a similar trend is seen during the week of January 26 too.”
Amid the festival fever, another concern that rises is the usage of plastic flags, which is a violating the Flag Code of India.
Akash Vineeth