Women members of Durgadevi & Nakshatra Self Help Groups (SHGs) from Dharwad, Karnataka is happy to be part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. These two SHGs received Rs. 75,000/- each to produce the tricolour. The concerned Zilla Panchayat has asked to produce 7,500 national flags by August 10, 2022.

As part of the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, to mark the 75th year of Independence, the Dharwad Zilla panchayat (ZP) has planned to conduct the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign from August 11 to 17 2022. This aims to host the tricolour (National flag) atop every house to spread the message of patriotism in the district of Dharwad. The rural development and panchayat raj department have given the task of preparing and hoisting flags to SHGs, through the Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Mission scheme. The Zilla Panchayat has identified 16 women self-help groups (SHG) including 2 SHGs from U3 programme intervention area to stitch the tricolour and hoist them. 

These two SHGs were promoted by the U3 program through the Belgaum Diocesan Social Service Society (BDSSS) in the Benachi district of Karnataka. In the year 2019, 35 members from the Benachi district were provided tailoring training and also supported with 10 sewing machines to engage them in tailoring entrepreneurship. As part of developmental activities, leadership training, exposure visit, SHG management training, and bookkeeping trainings were given to the SHGs and thus BDSSS supported the SHGs to function effectively in the village. Further, these two SHGs have joined the federation in the Benachi gram panchayat. Being a federation member, the SHGs become stronger to identify and address the social issues of the area.

To initiate the process, the gram panchayat level federation supported the cause by providing a loan to SHGs without any interest rate, for producing the tricolour. In the district, 16 women SHGs are involved in preparing the national flag. To make perfect national flags as per the norms, members of the SHGs were trained by the Rudset Institute Dharwad. ‘PDOs have been instructed to take care, to ensure that norms are not violated while hoisting the national flags in the houses. A total of 450 flags will be provided to each GP, which will be distributed in schools, and government offices.’ The fixing of the rate for the tricolour flag is under process. A total of 64,800 flags would be prepared by the SHGs of the Dharwad Zilla panchayat. All the 16 members of these two SHGs have undergone a day-long training in Rudset Institute, Dharwad and already purchased the materials to stitch the national flags. The members are confident to complete the given task by 11 August 2022. The members gratefully remember BDSSS and other organizations for moulding them and helping them. 

Now, the SHG’s members are planning to contact the educational institutions to take up bulk orders to stitch uniforms. This will lead the members to have economically sound and strong.