Celebrating the 75th Independence Day, Koo App, India’s leading social media micro-blogging platform, in association with Our Mitti Foundation, announced the #SayNoToPlasticTiranga campaign. The initiative urges citizens of the country to refrain from using plastic flags and encourages them to work towards a cleaner, eco-friendly environment and showing respect towards the tri-colour.

The ongoing campaign on Koo App over plastic tricolour has received strong support from across the country. Several Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, senior leaders, sportspersons and celebrities took an oath not to use plastic tricolour on Koo App and also appealed to the public to use clothes and paper tricolour. Koo App’s campaign had such an impact that #SayNoToPlasticTiranga and #PledgeOnKoo hashtags continued to trend on the indigenous microblogging site Koo throughout the day.

Taking this a step ahead, Our Mitti Foundation will request users to take a pledge to switch to paper flags and ensure a safer environment for us and our future citizens. The campaign has already seen an overwhelming support from several ministers such as Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Biplab Kumar Deb and N Biren Singh, who have taken it on Koo to create awareness by using #PledgeOnKoo and #SayNoToPlasticTiranga to encourage users to hoist paper/cloth flags this Independence day.

Support from top leaders and Chief Ministers from across the country

Supporting the campaign, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to his supporters and general public from his official Koo account never to use plastic tricolour. Participating in the campaign, CM Yogi Adityanath wrote: “देश की एकता, अखंडता एवं संप्रभुता का प्रतीक हमारा राष्ट्रध्वज सभी भारतवासियों का गौरव है। आइए, हम सभी तिरंगे के सम्मान, पर्यावरण की रक्षा तथा राष्ट्र हित में प्लास्टिक के तिरंगे का प्रयोग कभी न करने की शपथ लें। जय हिंद-जय भारत! #SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo (Our national flag, a symbol of the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, is the pride of all Indians. Let us all take an oath to respect the Tricolour, protect the environment and never use the plastic tricolour in the interest of the nation. Jai Hind-Jai Bharat!)

अपनी सुंदर वसुधा, पालनहार प्रकृति एवं पर्यावरण की सुरक्षा हेतु प्लास्टिक का प्रयोग बंद करने में ही भलाई है। स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर प्लास्टिक के तिरंगे का प्रयोग कदापि न करें। आइए, ’प्लास्टिक मुक्त’नए भारत का निर्माण करें। #SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo (It is better to stop using plastic to protect its beautiful vasudha, foster nature and environment. Never use plastic tricolour on Independence Day. Let us build a ‘plastic free’ New India.)” CM Yogi Adityanath wrote in another post on Koo.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also participated in the campaign and appealed to his official Koo account, “75वें #स्वतंत्रता_दिवस पर मैं प्रदेश के सभी भाई-बहनों व युवाओं से अनुरोध करता हूं कि आप कागज या कपड़े से बने तिरंगे को गर्व और शान से फहरायें। आइये, आज हम सब स्वतंत्रता दिवस के इस पुनीत अवसर पर स्वच्छ और गौरवशाली भारतवर्ष बनाने की शपथ लें।#SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo (On the 75th #स्वतंत्रत_Day, I request all the brothers and sisters and youth of the state to proudly and gracefully hoist the tricolour made of paper or cloth. Let us all take an oath today to build a clean and glorious India on this noble occasion of Independence Day.)

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s office also participated in the drive on Koo App and wrote from his official account, “On 75th Independence Day🇮🇳, Let’s #PledgeOnKoo to use paper or fabric flags instead of plastic flags to make our nation cleaner & eco-friendly. We request every citizen to #SayNoToPlasticTiranga.”

Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jairam Thakur also wrote, “तिरंगे की शान का प्लास्टिक से अपमान ना करें। इस स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर मैं शपथ लेता हूं कि प्लास्टिक तिरंगे का उपयोग नहीं करूंगा और अपने राज्य के नागरिकों से भी अनुरोध करूंगा की वो भी ये शपथ लेकर तिरंगे का मान बढ़ाएं। #SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo” (Don’t insult the glory of the tricolour with plastic. On this Independence Day, I take an oath that I will not use plastic tricolour and will also request the citizens of my State to take this oath and raise the value of the Tricolour)

Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sharma reminded the North Eastern States of flag code 2002 and appealed to the people to use only paper tricolour. In his post on Koo he said, “While we will all enthusiastically celebrate Independence Day, I urge all citizens to kindly not use plastic flags. Under the Flag Code of 2002, only paper and cloth flags are allowed for use. Let us celebrate our freedom by taking a pledge to be free from plastic and be conscious about environmental protection. #SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo”.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh appealed to the people not to use plastic tricolour to give due respect to the tricolour from his Koo account. He said, “While we will all enthusiastically celebrate Independence Day, I urge all citizens to kindly not use plastic flags. Under the Flag Code of 2002, only paper and cloth flags are allowed for use. Let us celebrate our freedom by taking a pledge to be free from plastic and be conscious about environmental protection. #SayNoToPlasticTiranga #PledgeOnKoo”.