Udupi: Interesting Facts about our Tri-Color National Flag on Independence Day Celebrations

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 15 Aug 2013: No sooner someone says about Independence Day celebrations; we usually reflect on tri-color flag hoisted in a pole, while each color and Ashoka chakra has its own meaning. It’s all we have learnt in the schools.  Meanwhile, the tri-color flag has a great history.  It has been revised 15 times.  It also signifies the freedom struggle in each stage.  Perhaps, the new generations are not aware of this because that is not found in textbooks.

 

In spite the present tri-color flag has gone through revisions 15 times, only 8 are officially recognized.  It’s significant that Indians joined Brits in revising the flag.  In the pre-Independence era, the nation has been divided by kingdoms and colonial rulers.  Each kingdom had their own flags to signify their sovereignty. It was a weakness on the part of Indians that necessitated uniting everyone under one flag to stage struggle against British rulers.   

 

Few milestones in creating tri-color:

 

The first national flag was created in 1904 by Sr Nivedita, disciple of Swamy Vivekanand that was called by his name.  It had red color signifying struggle, yellow signifying victory and Vande Mataram written in Bengali in the center.  Later, Nivedita reformed effectively by adding blue color that signifies independence.

 

 

In 1906, Sachindra Prasad Bose and Sukumar Mitra of Kolkata created a flag that consisted green, yellow and red colors.  It was hoisted for the first time at Kolkata during the division of Bengal on October 7 and it was named as Kolkata flag.

 

 

In  1907, Madam Bikaji Rustum Cama, Veer Savarkar and Shyamaji Krishna Varma created another flag that resembled more or less of Kolkata flag.  The colors were interchanged (red, yellow and green).  It was significant that this flag was first hoisted in Stuttgart; Germany on October 22 thereby drew the global attention towards Indian flag.

 

 

In 1916, Pingale Venkayya created a flag that represented red (Hindu), green (Muslim) and middle Ashoka Chakra.  It was purely made out of khadi, but Gandhiji did not recognize this and it was called as Pingale flag.

 

 

In 1917, Balagangadar Tilak created a separate flag through Home Rule League.  It was opposed because idea was borrowed from British flag.

 

 

In 1921, as per the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, white color signifying minorities was drawn between red and green.  It was inspired from Ireland that became free nation by staging struggle against Brits. 

 

 

Severe opposition was witnessed for this flag that was created on the advices of Mahatma Gandhi.  After long discussion, the flag was changed; red was replaced with saffron color, along with white and green as usual.  Ashoka chakra was painted in the middle of the flag.  The National Congress Committee that took the leadership of freedom struggle approved it and it was called as Swaraj flag.

 

 

In 1947, Babu Rajendaprasad led flag Committee created the present tri-color replacing Ashoka chakra with hand-weaver’s wheel and presented before Constitution forming Committee on June 22.  It was unanimously approved and was hoisted in New Delhi for the first time on August 15.

 

 It’s essential to mention about 2 more flags

 

1) The flag hoisted by King Bahadur Shah Jaffar who ruled New Delhi during sepoy mutiny in 1857 attained national status, because he ruled larger kingdom in those times.

 

 

2) British flag was officially hoisted in their offices across greater India after Brits conquered entire nation in 1858 and ruled till 1947.  It was solely a Brits flag.  The same Brits flag was lowered in New Delhi and Indian tri-color flag was hoisted in New Delhi in 1947.