HASSAN: For the first time, a tribal couple from the Hassan district have been selected to watch the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, along with the special guests and dignitaries in New Delhi on January 26. Hooraj and Chandose, who belong to the Hakkipikki community and hail from Angadihalli in Hassan district, are also scheduled to interact with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 27 at the President’s Office. The said couple is among only two families from Karnataka selected as special invitees to watch the Republic Day celebrations.
Expressing happiness over being slected, Hooraj and Chandose said that God has provided them a great opportunity to draw the attention of the Prime Minister towards the problems being faced by tribal families, apart from bringing their issues to the notice of the President.
The couple have been invited to New Delhi through the nodal officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Office. They are expected to leave Angadihalli to the office of the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (KSTRI), Mysuru, where they will be given a farewell. They will be flying from Bengaluru to Delhi. The expenses, including for flight tickets, boarding and lodging, are borne by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Sources said that the PMO has also arranged a sightseeing programme for the special invitees. The purpose of selecting people from different regions is to have an exchange of their traditions, art and culture, as they will be visiting different tourist centres in and around New Delhi with other guests.