Samastipur, August 12: The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga‘ campaign, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the song ‘Vande Mataram‘, has created significant employment opportunities for the Livelihood Didis in Samastipur, Bihar. Under this initiative, over 80,000 orders for national flags have been received from government departments, industrial institutions, community organizations, and citizens. To fulfill these orders on time, numerous Livelihood Didis are actively sewing flags both at local sewing centers and from their homes.
To ensure affordability for the public, each flag is priced at ₹25. More than 1,600 Livelihood Didis are working tirelessly day and night to complete the large volume of orders. Each block in the district has been tasked with producing approximately 4,000 flags, aiming to distribute the national flag to as many households as possible and broaden the campaign’s reach.
Dhananjay Kumar, the project manager for Livelihood in Samastipur, stated that directives have been issued by the Government of India for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga‘ campaign. According to the district magistrate’s instructions, each block has been assigned the responsibility of providing flags. So far, over 10,000 flags have been dispatched to the district office and various blocks, with several thousand more in preparation. Approximately 4,000 flags are ready at one center, set to be sent to the Ujiarpur block, with additional flags to be dispatched as needed. This campaign has emerged as a significant source of employment for Livelihood Didis.
Kumar further explained that the primary objective of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society is to provide livelihood opportunities for rural women. Their goal is to ensure that every Livelihood Didi is connected to some form of employment, thereby contributing to their family’s financial stability.
Neetu Kumari, in charge of the Livelihood Women’s Group, mentioned that around 50 Didis at her center are engaged in flag production. Orders worth approximately ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 have been received at the block level, with about ₹10,000 worth of work already completed. All future orders will also be fulfilled. Some women are working at the sewing center, while others with their own machines are making flags at home. Training has been provided to these women, enabling them to take on flag production tasks.
Babita Kumari, a Livelihood Didi involved in flag-making, shared that her center also produces various garments such as nighties, anganwadi dresses, masks, petticoats, and suits. Currently, flag production is being prioritized. During the pandemic, Livelihood Didis also made masks, and now they have the opportunity to create flags. About 20 women work at the center, while others complete sewing tasks at home. The flags made at home are later collected at the center.
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