Essays

"It will be necessary for us Indians — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all others to whom India is their home — to recognize a common flag to live and die for." '                      — Mahatma Gandhi's quote on our Indian flag

The Constituent Assembly which drew up the Constitution of India, adopted, on 22 July 1947, the tricolor as Independent India's National Flag. After a debate, the Dhanna Chakra of Emperor Ashoka was included in the central white stripe of the flag. The same Chakra adoms the State Emblem adapted from the Samath Lion Capitol of Ashoka in addition to the motto from the Mundaka Upanishad, Satyameva Jayte which means: Truth alone triumphs. The Chakra or the wheel symbolizes the Power of the State governed by Dharma, which is the primaeval Indian system of justice which is the bedrock, not only of governance but of the socio-politico-economic edifice Itself

Meaning of the Flag :   

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on p the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white stripe, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Samath Lion Capitol. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA' is a symbol dating back to 2nd century BC. Its diameter approximates the width of the white stripe 1 foot and 4 inches and it has 24 spokes which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; the white, for purity and truth; the green for growth and auspiciousness.

 The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained - "Bhagwa or the saffron color denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our (relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the centre of the whole is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again. the wheel denotes motion. There  is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.

It is important to read the extract from Jawaharlal Nehru's address to Constituent Assembly for the date on which the national flag was adopted (Tuesday 22 July 1947) :

 "I present this Flag to you. This Resolution defines the Flag which trust will adopt. In a sense this Flag was adopted no! by a formal resolution but by popular acclaim and usage, adopted much more by the sacrifice that surrounded it in the pa few decades. We are in a sense only ratifying that popular adoption. It is a Flag whit has been variously described. Some people, having misunderstood its significant have thought of it in communal terms and believe that some part of it represent this community or that. But J may say that when this Flag was devised there was communal significance attached to it. "

 At the same meeting of the Constituent Assembly, Govind Das added:

 "There is no touch of communalism in the three colours of the flag. Pandit Ji (i.e., Jawaliarlal Nehru) has already told you this in the course of his speech. It true that at a time when the colours were red, white and green there was a trace of communalism in the flag. But when we changed these colours to saffron, whiles green, we declared it in clear words that the three colours had no coming significance. "

The official website of the High Commission of India in London states "H saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white,, purity and truth; and the green for faith and fertility.

Flag Code

On 26th January 2002, the flag code was changed. After 52 years, the citizen of India are free to fly the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day. Except some basic rules to follow while flying the flags, all other restrictions have been removed. Now Indians can proudly display the national flag anywhere and anytime. There are some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based on the 2 January 2002 legislation. These include the following:

 The Do's :

The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, I sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance] has been included in the flag hoisting in schools. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag. Section 2 of the new code) accepts the right of all citizens to fly the flag on their premises.

The Don'ts:

The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery or clothes. As far as possible it should be flown from sunrise to sunset irrespective of the weather.

The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft.

 No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object,  including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolor cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.

As of January 26th. many have already started hoisting the flags at their Premises. This new flag code would not have been made possible if it weren’t for one Indian Mr. Navin Jindal, an industrialist from Madhya Pradesh, who had been constantly been arguing/ fighting against the government and for the citizen's right for ihc free hoisting of flags. Apparently this particular Indian had filed a law suit and has been fighting for this right for ages until he finally won this right in around end of Dec. 2001 .(The obsolete 1950 flag code: A strict flag code announced in the year 1950 regulated the use and display of the national flag. It barred the use of the flag in advertisements or for any other commercial activity, [n fact even citizens were not allowed to fly the flag over their homes, offices or factories except on certain designated days like the Republic Day or the Independence Day.)

There is a clear proviso in the flag code permitting putting flower petals inside the national Tricolour before it is unfurled on special occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day... the proviso permitting the use of petals was added to Section 5.9 on January 24,1997.

Interesting Facts :

The Indian national flag was hoisted on Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world, on May 29 1953, along with the Union Jack and the Nepalese National flag.

Madam Bhikhaji Rustom Cama was the first Indian to have raised an Indian flag in Germany in August 1907 and announced to the world our political flight with the British (or the country' s Independence. Madam Came’s flag had green on the top,  golden saffron and red at the bottom. Eight lotuses representing the eight provinces, were lined on the Indian flag. Vande Mataram was written in gold with the Crescent towards the hoist of the flag and the Sun on the other side.

 In 1971, the Indian flag went into space on board Apollo-15. It flew into space as a medallion on the spacesuit worn by Cosmonaut Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, during the Indo-Soviet joint space flight in April 1984.Amiably we also called our National Flag by the popular name "TIRANGA".

Vocabulary

1. triumphs—a successful ending of a struggle or contest, gloats, rejoices. 2. primaeval— having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state. 3. diameter— the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference, diam. 4. approximates—comes close, guesses, be close or similar. 5. Auspiciousness-propitiousness, the favorable quality of strong indicating a successful result. 6. significance—implication, meaning. 7. unanimously— of one mind; without dissent, nominee contradicente. 8. disinterested/less—freedom ''.'-I bias or selfish motives, impartiality. 9. dynamism—a activeness of an energetic personality, pizzazz. 10. adoption—the act of accepting with approval; favor like reception, acceptance, borrowing. 11. variously—in diverse ways, multif.ii'ii¹,.^. 12. misunderstood—interpret in the wrong way, ked amiss. 13, communalise— like something the property of the commune or community, communalize. 14. renunciatinii— rejecting as invalid, apostasy, forgoing. 15. legislation—a law enacted by a body, statute law. 16. allegiance—the loyalty that owe to their nr subjects to their sovereign), loyalty. 17. dignity—lordliness, self-respect. 18. draprry— J hanging cloth used as a blind, curtain, pall. 19. intentionally—advisedly,. J 20. proviso—a stipulated condition, provision. 21. spacesuit—a suit worn by astronauts I while in outer space, pressure suit.