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Sarpanch Thanabhai Dodia of Jaloya village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district has been invited as a special guest for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations in recognition of his village's contributions during Operation Sindoor, when residents provided machinery and labour to assist the armed forces.
Dodia, whose village lies about 20 kilometres from the India-Pakistan border, will attend the event at Delhi's Red Fort in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Tuesday, he expressed gratitude to both the Gujarat and central governments for the honour. "I have been invited as a special guest for Independence celebrations to be held on 15th August at Red Fort in Delhi in the presence of Shri Narendra Bhai Modi Sahib. I am thankful to the Government of India, the Government of Gujarat and the authorities from the bottom of my heart. This is the first programme after Operation Sindoor in which I have been invited as the sarpanch of my last village in the border area," Dodia said. "During the war in Operation Sindoor, when the machines were needed, we gave machines, and when labourers were needed, people stood ready. Keeping that in mind, we have been invited. Modi ji has given this opportunity to the sarpanch of the last village. I am grateful for this," he added. He also said the Border Security Force (BSF) has maintained close coordination with the village. "Operation Sindoor was going on, and BSF was in touch with us. We have good liaison in the border area. We sit together, plan and work together. The villagers have always helped the BSF, and the BSF has also helped us a lot," the Jaloya Sarpanch added. Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has planned extensive Independence Day celebrations in Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. The flag-hoisting ceremony will be led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Gujarat Legislative Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary will hoist the flag at Mehsana, while members of the State Cabinet and District Collectors will do so at various district headquarters. On August 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness over the "phenomenal" participation in the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, saying it reflects the deep patriotic spirit that unites the people of India and their pride in the Tricolour. He also urged citizens to continue sharing their photos and selfies on harghartiranga.com. Responding to the Ministry of Culture's posts about the high participation, the Prime Minister said, "Glad to see #HarGharTiranga receiving phenomenal participation across India. This shows the deep patriotic spirit that unites our people and their unwavering pride in the Tricolour. Do keep sharing photos and selfies on harghartiranga.com." In an X post, the Ministry of Culture wrote, "We are elated to see the enthusiasm surrounding the #HarGharTiranga campaign. From Kashmir to Lakshadweep and from Gujarat to Sikkim, the heartwarming images of people proudly hoisting the Tricolour show the deep connection that every Indian has with the National Flag." According to the Ministry of Culture, this year the campaign will run from August 2 to August 15, with the government urging citizens to hoist the Tricolour at their homes. (ANI)
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