Tricolour Hoisted In Four Hamlets In Maharashtra For The First Time Since Independence

In the Udadya hamlet of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra, where electricity is yet to reach, a group of about 30 children and locals conducted its maiden flag hosting, PTI reported. The tribal hamlet is located around 500 kilometres away from Mumbai and about 50 kilometers from the nearest Tehsil. 

The hamlet does not have a government school, only an informal one run by the NGO YUNG Foundation. “This region is endowed with natural beauty, fertile soil, and the Narmada River flows through it. But being a hilly belt, it is difficult to reach,” says Sandeep Deore, founder of the YUNG Foundation told PTI. 

The YUNG foundation, which has been implementing such projects in the region for three years, decided to conduct the maiden flag hoisting in the hamlets of Udadya, Khaparmaal, Sadri and Manjnipada on Independence Day this year.

More than 250 children enrolled in the four schools run by the foundation were present at the flag-hoisting ceremonies on Friday, besides local villagers.

The idea behind the flag hoisting was not just to unfurl the tricolour but also educate the populace of their democratic rights. "The tribals here live a very independent life, but all of them may not know things like the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. They often get fleeced or exploited while working as labourers or in day-to-day transactions,” Deore said. 

Language also poses a barrier in the area as the locals speak the Pawari dialect, quite different from standard Marathi or Hindi. The Anganwadi workers appointed by the government often stay away from these remote hamlets, with a few exceptions. 

With PTI inputs