10 crore and counting: Surat workers make tricolours without wearing footwear

As the country is a festive mood ahead of the 75th Independence Day, the workers in Surat city of Gujarat have manufactured over 10 crore national flags so far. They are doing so without wearing any footwear as a mark of respect to the national flag.

Surat (Gujarat): As the country is gearing up for the 75th year of India's independence, the workers in Surat have decided not to wear footwear while manufacturing the tricolours. The move is to honour the tricolour, the workers said as they were seen working at the mills without footwear.

So far, more than 10 crore national flags have been sent from Surat to five other states for the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign, making the city one of the prime hotspots for tricolour manufacturing ahead of the independence day. The workers in the city have received orders for manufacturing three crore more tricolours, which they plan on doing without wearing any footwear as well.

To celebrate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' which is scheduled between August 13 to August 15, the government targeted to make 100 crore tricolours out of which 10 crore tricolours are supposed to be manufactured by the textile city, Surat and the consignment was expected to be completed by 26 July.

While the workers are making tricolours without wearing slippers to honour the country, other state governments are also placing orders for more tricolours near Surat, but due to paucity of time and lack of manpower, traders in Surat are not accepting new orders.