CM Majhi Calls Odisha Youth to Fly Cloth Tricolour, Aug 13-15
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on August 9, 2026 called on the state's youth to hoist cloth tricolours at every home and institution from August 13-15, completely ban plastic flags, and honour the families of soldiers and police personnel as part of Independence Day celebrations.
Key Takeaways
CM Mohan Charan Majhi appealed to Odisha's youth on August 9, 2026 to prioritise patriotism and resist negative external influences.
He directed every home, institution, and locality in Odisha to fly a cloth tricolour from August 13 to 15, 2026 .
Plastic flags must be completely abandoned , in line with the Flag Code of India's khadi mandate.
The campaign aligns with the national Har Ghar Tiranga initiative launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Families of soldiers and police personnel are to be honoured as part of the Independence Day observance.
This is the first BJP-led Odisha government's Independence Day push since the party's 2024 assembly victory .
Patriotism, not plastic — that is the message Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi sent to the state's youth on Sunday, August 9, 2026, urging every home, institution, and neighbourhood to hoist a cloth tricolour from August 13 to 15 and honour the families of soldiers and police personnel guarding the nation.
Speaking on what he described as a special occasion, CM Majhi called on Odisha's 'awakened youth' — jaagrat yubasaathi — to resist negative external influences and keep patriotism above all else. 'Do not fall into any web of negativity or illusion,' he said in Odia. 'Make this national festival a success by flying the cloth tricolour in every home, institution, and locality across Odisha from August 13 to 15.' He also issued a clear directive: plastic flags must be completely abandoned.
Cloth Over Plastic: The Flag-Use Directive
The call to use only cloth flags is rooted in the Flag Code of India, which mandates that the national flag be made of hand-spun or hand-woven khadi. Plastic flags, which are non-biodegradable and often discarded on roadsides after Independence Day, have been a recurring concern for civic and environmental bodies. Majhi's explicit instruction to 'completely reject plastic flags' aligns the state government with that standard — and gives it sharper teeth through a Chief Minister's public appeal.
Har Ghar Tiranga and Odisha's First BJP Independence Day
The campaign echoes the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative launched nationally in 2022 under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav framework, which marked 75 years of Indian independence by encouraging mass flag hoisting. Majhi's government — the first BJP-led administration in Odisha's history, sworn in after the party's landmark 2024 assembly victory — has consistently aligned state programming with central patriotic campaigns. This Independence Day push is the clearest expression yet of that alignment at the grassroots level.
Honouring Families of Soldiers and Police
Beyond the flag, Majhi's message carried a human dimension: a call to honour the families of soldiers and police personnel deployed to protect citizens. The gesture frames Independence Day not merely as a civic ritual but as an act of solidarity with those in uniform — and with those who wait for them at home. The Chief Minister closed with a rallying line: 'Let us all unite and build a prosperous Odisha and a developed India.'
With flag-hoisting events expected across the state from August 13 to 15, and state-level recognitions for security personnel families anticipated, Odisha's Independence Day this year carries both a symbolic and an organisational charge — one the Chief Minister has personally put his name behind.
Point of View
Tying the state's grassroots celebrations firmly to a central campaign architecture the party has cultivated since 2022. The plastic-flag ban adds a practical, enforceable edge that distinguishes this year's appeal from routine Independence Day messaging. By spotlighting security forces' families alongside the flag, Majhi also threads a nationalist-welfare needle that has proven electorally resonant for the BJP across states. The real test will be whether the state machinery translates the Chief Minister's social-media call into visible, ground-level participation across Odisha's towns and villages.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Odisha CM Mohan Majhi say about Independence Day 2026?
CM Mohan Charan Majhi called on Odisha's youth to hoist cloth tricolours at every home, institution, and locality from August 13 to 15, 2026, completely ban plastic flags, and honour the families of soldiers and police personnel.
What is the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign?
Har Ghar Tiranga is a nationwide campaign launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage every Indian household and institution to hoist the national tricolour around Independence Day.
Why are plastic flags banned on Independence Day in India?
The Flag Code of India mandates that the national flag be made of hand-spun or hand-woven khadi. Plastic flags are non-compliant with the code and create non-biodegradable waste, which is why officials including CM Majhi have called for their complete rejection.
When did the BJP come to power in Odisha?
The BJP won the Odisha assembly election in 2024, forming the state's first BJP-led government with Mohan Charan Majhi as Chief Minister.
What events are planned in Odisha for Independence Day 2026?
Flag-hoisting events and related programmes are expected across Odisha from August 13 to 15, 2026, with state-level recognitions anticipated for the families of security and police personnel.
