Evolution of the Indian National Flag

Development Pre-Independence
The idea of the national flag for India as a symbol of national pride germinated a couple
of decades before our Independence. The very idea of India as consciousness was yet
to be born, which would soon be, so was a flag to represent that unity, that
consciousness. Dynasties, rulers and
warriors, who were scattered across a
colonized India, had their flags as
symbolic representations of their reigns—
but that was far from the Indian spirit.
However, with the Indian independence
movement and the rise of nationalistic
consciousness there arose the desire for a
flag among the Indians to represent the
unity envisioned. The immediate cause of
unfurling the first flag was felt with the
The Calcutta flag, 1906.
announcement about the partition of
Bengal in 1905—that day of the partition
was declared the National Day of Mourning. A year later in 1906, during the
anniversary of the anti-partition movement, a flag designed by Sachindra Prasad was
unfurled. The fluttering of that flag sent ripples of desire for a unitary India in Indian
minds.

At the international level, Madam Bhikaji

Rustom Cama was the first person to unfurl
a flag (the Berlin Committee Flag) that
represented India in some way in an
international forum, the 2 International
nd

Socialist Congress in 1907. This flag was

designed by Hemchandra Kanungo. The
unfurling of this flag was preceded by a
powerful speech by Madam Cama detailing
The Berlin committee flag, first raised
the Indian political fights against the British.
by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907

In 1917, the Home Rule League Movement was

ably led by Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mrs.
Anne Besant designed a flag to represent the
spirit of the movement.

The flag used during the Home Rule

movement in 1917
In 1921, during the Swaraj Movement,
motivated by Mahatma Gandhi, Pingley
Venkayya designed the Swaraj Flag,
otherwise also known as Charkha Flag.
Representing the power of self-reliance,
social and economic progress, and the
common person—all aspirations for an
Independent India—the Flag had the
Charkha in the middle. It was made of
khadi which was to represent India's The Swaraj Flag, 1921
independence from foreign markets for
the cloth. In 1921 without any resolution, it became the national flag of India. In 1923
as part of the Civil Disobedience movement in Jabalpur a procession with the national
flag was planned. Due to various events in this procession, it started being known as
Jhanda Andolan. The most significant achievement of Jhanda Andolan was that it
gave us a flag for which every Indian, irrespective of caste & creed, was willing to lay
down his life.

The Congress Working Committee, at its

Karachi meeting on April 2 , 1931, nd

appointed a seven-member Flag Committee,

which after modification to the Charkha flag
adopted a new flag in 1931. This was the
origin of our Tiranga in its current form
though it had a Charkha in the middle.

The flag adopted in 1931.

As Indian Independence was becoming a reality—a long-cherished dream of millions

of Indians—the need for an Indian National Flag to represent the idea of India in its
totality arose. An ad-hoc Flag Committee, under the headship of Dr Rajendra Prasad,
was given the mandate to design the flag for free India. Upon obtaining Mahatma
Gandhi’s consent, the Committee decided to modify the Swaraj Flag designed by
Pingley Venkayya. The Charkha—the symbol evocative of an India dreaming of
independence—was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra. This Flag was adopted on July
22, 1947, as the Indian National Flag. It unified the heartbeat of millions of Indians
into a single rhythm.
 Indian National Flag: A Matter of Right
India thus got a National Flag—the Tiranga—as a symbol of the freedom of “India”.But
throughout the 20 Century since its adoption, the Flag remained as a “government
th

flag” and was not available to common citizens to fly or display it except on a few
selected occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day, etc. One young
entrepreneur and patriot Naveen Jindal contested the discrepancies of the decades-
old rules restricting the display of the Flag by common citizen and fought a legal battle
to make changes to it. It was his efforts that enabled every Indian to proudly fly the
tricolour throughout the year with respect and dignity.

Naveen Jindal had a fascination for Tiranga and its colours since childhood. However,
his love for the Indian Flag grew stronger in 1990 while studying in the US when he
witnessed the American's passion for their flag. They would display their "Stars and
Stripes" at all places, on every occasion and event of their daily life. After his return
from the US, Naveen wanted to do the same, here In India, and display the Tiranga.
He could not fly the Tiranga at his factory in Raigarh, and consequently, a prolonged
legal battle ensued. The Divisional Commissioner of Bilaspur asked Naveen Jindal to
stop hoisting the Flag every day as no common citizen was allowed to hoist it every
day.

According to the then Flag code of India, the flag could be flown only on ceremonial
occasions, not on all days by common citizens. This unfair restriction was simply not
acceptable to Naveen Jindal. This prompted Mr Jindal to wage a prolonged legal battle
which lasted for a decade. The battle culminated in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of
India ruling on 23 Jan 2004 that the hoisting and displaying of the Indian National
Flag with dignity and respect is a fundamental right of every citizen of India as per
Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India. To effectively implement the order of the
Supreme Court and to uphold the dignity of the National Flag, which has become
available to the citizens of India, Mr Jindal established an NGO named the “Flag
Foundation of India”. The Foundation aims to enlighten the citizens of India about
their rights and responsibilities towards the National Flag.

Later as a Member of the Indian Parliament Naveen Jindal took up the issue of
amending the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act (1971) to
allow Indians to wear the Tiranga above the waist. In 2005, Naveen Jindal’s efforts
yielded outstanding results as both houses of Parliament voted to amend the
Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. Today, Indians have the right to display
the Tiranga on their garments above the waist with due respect and dignity.
Latest Amendments in Flag Code

Since its inception in 2003, the efforts of the Flag Foundation of India have been to
write and persuade the ruling governments, at various points in time, to liberalize the
rules regarding the display of the Indian National Flag.

The Flag Foundation of India has been making constant endeavours to educate the
masses about their rights and responsibilities towards the national flag.

It is also to the credit of FFI that in 2009 it installed the first monumental flag in a
public place both during day and night (otherwise night flying was forbidden till then)
after obtaining due permission from the Government of India. With this initiative now
it has become a wave in India to install monumental flags all across the country

Know these things related to the National Flag!

The Flag Foundation of India is making constant efforts to educate the Indian
population broadly about the following information related to the national flag:

● Public can fly the Tricolor at their homes or workplaces for 365 days of the year.

● Public can hoist the national flag both day and night at their homes or
workplaces.

● The fabric of the national flag should be cotton, silk, polyester or khadi.

● One should not mark any type of figure or letter on the National Flag.

● One shall not hoist a damaged National Flag. Damaged flags should be
destroyed completely at a place far away from the public eye after paying due
respects to the Flag.

● Public can display the national flag on their garments in a respectful manner above
the waist.
● For more details refer to the Flag Code of India 2002.

Mr Naveen Jindal on the Significance of colours imbibed in the Indian National

Flag :
“Saffron stands for sacrifice: let us make it about selfless service to our society with
honesty.
“White stands for purity; let us make it about corruption-free probity in public life”.
“Green stands for growth: let us make it about sustainable development”.
“The Ashok Chakra is the wheel that denotes movement, a way forward to peace,
progress and prosperity”.