Independence Day invitees: From Khadi weaver to central vista, border roads shram yogis

As many as 1,800 people from different walks of life have been invited to attend the 77th Independence Day in the national capital tomorrow as special guests to partake in the Independence Day celebrations and witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech. Among the guests is a Khadi weaver from PM Modi’s constituency, Varanasi. Wahab Ansari who weaves cloth with Khadi thread will come to Delhi to witness Prime Minister's speech from the Red Fort. 

“Mr Wahab Ansari of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, who weaves cloth with Khadi thread, is a special guest who will come to Delhi and listen to the Prime Minister's speech on the occasion of Independence Day 2023 from the historic ramparts of the Red Fort,” said A Bharat Bhushan Babu, principal spokesperson, Ministry of Defence on X (former Twitter).

In the video posted by Bharat Bhushan Babu, the weaver Wahab Ansari said, “I have been working for the last 36 years as a weaver at the Gramodaya Ashram, Kalvara in Ghazipur. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modiji that I have been called (For the Independence Day celebrations in Delhi). I am able to earn about seven to eight thousand rupees monthly doing the work of weaving.” 

75 couples from each State, UT invited

Along the lines of the government’s vision of people’s participation, the initiative of inviting these special guests has been taken. According to the government, 75 couples from each State/Union Territory, in their traditional attire, have also been invited to witness the ceremony at Red Fort.

People invited to witness the Red Fort Independence Day celebrations include 400 Sarpanches of over 660 vibrant villages; 250 from the Farmer Producer Organisations scheme; 50 participants each from Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. 

People engaged in various developmental projects across the length and breadth of the country have also been invited. Fifty shram yogis (construction workers) of the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building; 50 Khadi workers, 50 workers involved in the construction of border roads, 50 workers of Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 each primary school teachers, nurses and fishermen have been sent invitations for the Independence Day festivities at the Red Fort. Some of these guests are also scheduled to visit the National War Memorial and call on the Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt as part of their stay in Delhi.