In celebration of the Tricolour

It will be necessary for us Indians – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all others to whom India is their home – to recognise a common flag to live and die for’. These were the words spoken by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi about the Tricolour.

A symbol of national pride and patriotism, the national flag, proudly fluttering in the wind, infuses hope and rekindles the spirit of nationalism amongst us all.  A ‘power symbol’ it connects and strengthens the relationship of today’s youth with India’s history, the sacrifices of the freedom fighters and martyrs, the struggle for independence and the nation’s tryst with destiny. Indeed, the Tricolour serves as a great source of inspiration for countless citizens in India and those living across the globe.

But turn back the pages of history and one finds that just a decade ago the Tricolour,  which symbolises our national pride, was not even allowed to be hosted anywhere. Only the VVIPs, government offices and public sector undertakings were allowed the honour of displaying the flag on their premises. The rest of India could hoist the Tricolour only on national days like the Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

But a crucial decision by politician Naveen Jindal and his organisation, the Flag Foundation of India, changed the whole scenario.

On January 23, 2004, the Supreme Court in a landmark judgement ruled that hoisting the National Flag is a fundamental right of citizens of the country. January 23 also marks the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose, whose patriotism made him a hero of India’s freedom struggle.

This historic day was marked with a whole week of celebration – The Flag Week. A practice that has since continued in the month of January. The celebrations culminated on January 30, which also marks the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi.

On the occasion, a mega event in the form of a Sadbhavna programme was organised at the India Gate lawns where a large gathering of people from all walks of life, including industrialists, political leaders, Bollywood artistes, socialites and the aam aadmi gathered to form human chain and chant ‘Raghupati Raghav, Raja Ram’ in remembrance of  the Father of the Nation and the Gandhian values.

The event also saw the gathering observe a minute’s silence and pledge to inculcate Gandhian values in public life and nurture the sense of Indianness amongst the Youth. A special Kavi Sammelan was also organised at Jindal house where noted poets such as Pratap Fauzdar, Jagdish Solanki and Ashish Anal presented their poems igniting the feeling of patriotism amongst all. 

The Flag Foundation was set up as a registered society in 2002 after Naveen Jindal won a decade-long legal battle when the historic Supreme Court ruling enabled all Indians to display the Tricolour with respect, dignity and honour. This order was passed with a vision to popularise the display of the Tiranga by the citizens, with a sense of pride. The flag epitomises our ‘unity in diversity’.

Speaking about this, Naveen Jindal, said, “The national flag not only symbolises the essential values of life, but is also shows the struggle of those people who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom. Today, having the largest population of youth in the world, it is their responsibility to keep the Tiranga flying high, keeping in mind the values and principles attached to it. I urge the youth of the nation to go out and display the Tricolour with pride.”