DHARWAD: Elected representatives had to intervene and convince angry residents of Garag village to participate in ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’, after they had decided to boycott the campaign, protesting against the use of polyester in the making of the Tricolour. The administration was caught off guard, after the villagers voiced their dissent against the use of polyester in flags through an amendment to the Flag Code, and sought to boycott Har Ghar Tiranga.
Garag, in Dharwad district, is closely associated with the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangh in Hubballi, which is the only BIS-approved National Flag manufacturer in the country. The fabric for the flag comes from Garag. After the announcement of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, the village amassed a large amount of raw material and produced fabric, expecting good business. But after the Flag Code was amended to make way for polyester flags, the villagers were left diappointed.
Criticising the modifications in the National Flag Code, villagers expressed their anguish and decided not to participate in the national campaign nor hoist the flag. However, as the news spread, elected representatives and the authorities rushed to Garag, and took the villagers and the khadi fabric units into confidence.
A villager said, “We are not against any celebration, but what should we do with all the material when the government has declined purchasing any of it? As the khadi centre is located in Garag, we have to stand with it. However, now the elected representatives have assured us that the material will be purchased. The issue has been sorted out.”
Another villager informed that the khadi centre was set up in 1954, and the government has also given it the accreditation for producing the fabric for the National Flag. The flag produced here is hoisted across the nation and people working here should not be left ignored. Dharwad MLA Amrut Desai said there was confusion regarding the material produced, which led to the issue. “We have spoken to the villagers and the khadi centre workers about buying the fabric,” he added.