National Flag Transformation & Its Significance

On the eve of 64th Republic day we take the opportunity to enlighten the public about our National flag and its transformation into the present form.

The first Unofficial flag of India was hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Kolkata.

The second flag was hoisted in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries in 1907The third flag went up in 1917 when our political struggle had taken a definite turn. Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak hoisted it during the Home rule movement. We fail to understand that why they had a British flag ( Union Jack.) also incorporated in the national flag. The seven stars in above flag depict the Saptarishi.During the session of the All India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolise progress of the Nation.

The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolour flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel at the centre. It was, however, clearly stated that it bore no communal significance and was to be interpreted thus.

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. Thus, the tricolour flag of the Congress Party eventually became the tricolour flag of Independent India.

 

Colours of the Flag:

In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

The Chakra:

This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Verdict

Our national flag has undergone a lot of transformation and we have achieved our independence after a lot of sacrifices. Thus every effort needs to be undertaken to ensure that its dignity is maintained at all cost and especially during the Cricket euphoria; one can see a number of spectators draping the flag on them or waiving in a wrong manner with green stripe being up. We need to follow the flag code to its fullest extent as we have got the right to fly this flag courtesy a number of fighters and courtesy Naveen Jindal fight that today we can fly it on our houses also. We also owe the respect to our flag for sake of Indian Army which guards the nation round the clock in most toughest terrains. You must check the Do’s & Don’ts for Flag Hoisting here to avoid being caught in a wrong posture due to ignorance.