From a health worker serving Odisha’s remote Bonda community to an armless para-cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir, grassroots achievers from across India are set to receive a special moment of recognition this Independence Day. Several such contributors have been invited to President Droupadi Murmu’s ‘At Home’ Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15, as part of the country’s 80th Independence Day celebrations. T
he invitees include Odisha health worker Durga Prasad Sahu, Assam conservationist Didom Daimari, J&K para-cricketer Aamir Hussain Lone, Nagaland’s Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament awardee Kepozo Kapuh and NSS volunteer Lolika Shohe. Separately, 100 PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries from Delhi-NCR have been invited as special guests to witness the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort. Together, their stories reflect service across healthcare, conservation, sports, youth leadership, disaster preparedness and traditional crafts.
Service From India’s Most Remote Communities
For Durga Prasad Sahu, the presidential invitation is a recognition of more than a decade of service in one of Odisha’s most difficult-to-reach regions. A health worker at the Andrahal Sub-Centre under Khairput Community Health Centre in Malkangiri, Sahu has spent the past 13 years providing healthcare services to more than 4,300 members of the Bonda tribal community.
His work frequently involves travelling through challenging terrain and areas where road connectivity and healthcare infrastructure remain limited. Along with providing essential medical care, he has worked to spread awareness about malaria, tuberculosis, dengue, diabetes, cancer and other health concerns. His story highlights the importance of frontline workers who bring public healthcare closer to communities that can otherwise remain geographically isolated.
Assam’s Didom Daimari represents another form of grassroots service. Associated with conservation work in Udalguri, Daimari has been involved in community-led efforts to restore degraded forest habitats and promote coexistence between people and wildlife. Aaranyak records his involvement in the Dhansiri-Sikaridanga Joint Forest Management Committee and conservation initiatives aimed at restoring habitat and reducing human-elephant conflict.
The area, once severely degraded, has seen extensive restoration efforts involving local communities, native plantations and habitat improvement. Daimari has also worked with communities on conservation-related initiatives, including livelihood measures intended to reduce conflict with elephants.
From Youth Leadership To Sporting Resilience
The recognition also extends to young Indians and people who have challenged conventional ideas about ability and achievement. Aamir Hussain Lone, the armless para-cricketer from Waghama in Anantnag, has built an extraordinary sporting career after losing both arms in a childhood accident. He went on to play para-cricket for Jammu & Kashmir and became known for bowling with his feet and batting while holding the bat between his neck and shoulder. His journey from a life-changing accident to competitive cricket has made him a widely recognised symbol of determination. In earlier interviews, Lone spoke about his desire to use his journey to inspire others and encourage young people not to give up on their ambitions.
Nagaland’s Kepozo Kapuh has been recognised for his contribution to youth leadership. The postgraduate Political Science student from St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Jakhama, won the Best Responder Award at the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2026 after representing Nagaland at the national-level programme. He received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and spoke about the importance of giving young people greater opportunities to participate in public life, governance and discussions on social justice.
Another Nagaland invitee, Lolika Shohe, is an NSS volunteer and beneficiary of the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme. Her inclusion brings disaster preparedness and youth volunteering into the wider picture of national service. Rather than being limited to conventional public figures, this year’s recognition puts the spotlight on people contributing within their own communities.
Kepozo Kapuh, a postgraduate Political Science student at St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Jakhama, Nagaland, and winner of the Best Responder Award at the national Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2026, has been invited to the President’s ‘At Home’ Reception at Rashtrapati… pic.twitter.com/ri7mzeM5kY
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 14, 2026
Recognising The Hands That Keep India Moving
The Independence Day celebrations will also acknowledge traditional artisans and craftspeople. The Government has invited 100 PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries from Delhi-NCR as ‘Special Guests’ to witness the ceremony at the Red Fort. The beneficiaries represent all 18 traditional trades covered under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, including carpentry, tailoring, goldsmithing, blacksmithing and locksmithing, with women artisans also among the invitees. The scheme, launched in 2023, provides support to traditional artisans and craftspeople across these 18 trades, including recognition, training, toolkit support and assistance for enterprise development.
The broader significance of these invitations lies in the range of people being brought into the national spotlight. A health worker serving a tribal community, a conservationist protecting wildlife habitats, a para-athlete overcoming disability, young people contributing to public life and disaster preparedness, and artisans preserving traditional skills may appear to work in very different worlds. Yet their contributions share a common thread: they strengthen communities through sustained effort, often without national attention or public recognition.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Independence Day is not only an occasion to remember those who fought for India’s freedom; it is also an opportunity to recognise the people helping build the country every day. The stories of these invitees remind us that nation-building does not happen only in Parliament, laboratories or corporate offices. It also happens when a health worker walks difficult terrain to reach a patient, when a community restores a damaged forest, when a sportsperson refuses to let disability define their potential, when young people step forward to serve society, and when artisans keep traditional skills alive.
Recognising such individuals can help create a culture where service, compassion and perseverance are valued as much as conventional measures of success. Who is the unsung person in your community whose contribution deserves to be celebrated this Independence Day?
Nagaland: NSS volunteer and Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme beneficiary Lolika Shohe has been invited to the President’s ‘At Home’ Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on August 15 as part of India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations.
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 14, 2026
She shared her thoughts on receiving the… pic.twitter.com/snXl1XnGuy
