The story of the Indian flag

 

               The British India was filled with flags to differentiate army troops, to identify the authority afloat on waters and adorned public buildings. The union jack of the Great Britain was adorned with “star of India” which functioned as an ensign indicating the presence of viceroy and governor general afloat from 1885 to 1947. The ‘star of India’ with various colour schemes of flags gave different meaning. Those flags of India were collectively called as star flags of India, which on plain sight indicated the pre-independence British Indian flags. Princely states also had flags. Each princely state had their own flags such as the Asafia flag of Nizams of Hyderabad, flag of Gwalior Maharaj and other princely states flags were also available. But it was not the same case for the then freedom fighters. They haven’t chanced upon the flags though the Idea of symbolic representation was present it just graced from time to time.

       Throughout history flags, attires, symbols all represented the vigorous political notions of the people right from the Jacobin’s red cap to the swastika of Nazi’s. Likewise there was a growing need for a collective national symbol for the nationalists and freedom fighters that envisioned their dream of freedom. That the said symbol should arouse and kindle the spirits of people. Such Idea gave birth to several attempts of flags. The first flag that was hoisted was by Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama in International socialist Congress meeting on 22^nd August 1907 at Germany. Madam Cama was a very wealthy parsi women who dedicated her life for Indian freedom movement.   She along with her crew consisting Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) and Shyamji Krishna Varma designed the flag. She hoisted the flag before giving a stirring speech on the occasion despite of oppositions from Ramsay McDonald a British representative. Her speech and the flag that she hoisted represented the common sentiment of freedom from the British imperialism and British tyranny that the nation desired. The flag she hoisted in Stuggart was commonly referred to as 'Berlin Committee flag'. The flag consisted of three colours. Topmost was green which had a row of white lotus followed by golden saffron which had words in blue devanagiri script as ‘Vandematram’. The bottommost was red which had white moon and the sun. The colours of the flag represented each religion such as green for Muslims, golden saffron for Buddhist and the red for Hindus. Madam Cama hoisted flag wherever she went before giving a speech as the Berlin committee flag was quiet popular.  However the flag was crowded with too many symbols and words, though having captured the emotions of the nation it failed to be appealing. Thus the quest of a flag continued.

 

                                                 Fig: Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama

 

 

Years after Madam Cama a new flag was designed and hoisted in 1917. This Flag was hoisted during Home rule league organized by Anne Besant and Bala Gangadar Tilak. The home rule league was adapted after the Irish . home rule league for demanding self governance under the British rule. Thus the flag that was hoisted had union jack on the top.  The flag contained five red stripes and four green stripes along with the saptarishi(ursa major ) constellation that was sacred for Hindus. It also contained a crescent and a moon near the fly end that was sacred for the Muslims. However, this too wasn’t popular since the flag contained union jack and it contrasted the nationalist sentiment. Thus there again rose a need for a flag for the nationalists. Which was finally quenched by the work of Pingali Venkayya.

 

         Pingali Venkayya who was a farmer, geologist, lecturer in Andhra national college machilipattnam , fluent in japenese, researcher on Cambodia cotton also designed our national Flag. He was a participant in the second Boer war (1899-1902) South Africa who was inspired by the nationalist sentiment the union jack could arouse in soldiers and understood the power of a flag that cheered the troops. When he returned to India he set his priorities straight to design one such flag for India. Which resulted in a book called ‘A National Flag for India’ with 30 designs. This didn’t catch the prominent personalities who had the power to make others choose one of his designs for India. In 1921 he met such a personality who gave wings to his long sought dream. All India Congress Committee was held on March 31 and April 1 in Bezwada (vijaywada) in 1921. Where he had the chance to meet Mahatma Gandhi. 

Fig: Pingali Venkayya stamp

                To whom he presented his design for national flag. The flag consisted of two stripes of green and red followed by a Gandhian charka (spinning wheel ) in the center. It pleased Gandhiji as it was simple and held the symbol of charka. On gandhiji’s suggestion Venkayya added a third stripe of white on the top which could represent other communities. The tricolor was formed. The red for Hindus and green for Muslims and white for other religions.  It was informally used in all congress meetings since 1921.  This again couldn’t satisfy the masses as Sikhs sought a separate inclusion in the flag and other secularists were unhappy with the communal thought behind it. This led to improvisation; the red hue was replaced by the saffron which appeased both Hindus and Sikhs. This new flag that was improvised was approved by the congress committee held in 1931 to adopt this as the official flag of the committee. The flag became the symbol of all freedom fighters and supporters. It appealed the freedom fighters and the lay people alike. The freedom fighters marched with it while the lay people had the flags hoisted in homes, streets, in their shops to show their sentiments. Now the tricolor became a symbol of the nationalist’s sentiment and freedom as clear as day.

        

      When India got its independence a committee headed by Rajendra Prasad was formed to select the national flag of India. Flags from all over India flooded the government office, but it was all gaudy and overcrowded. And most of the members and freedom fighters were more than ready to adopt congress committee flag as the national flag since the struggle for freedom happened under it. There were oppositions for this decision as well, as how one can choose the same flag of a party as a nation’s national flag. Surraiya Badruddin Tyabji an activist, artist and wife of Baddrudin tyabji who was a civil servant came to rescue. She made sure to appease both the congress people and the nation by a simple replacement of chakra over charka. The Ashoka chakra on Indian flag was initially designed in black but was later changed to blue after gandhiji’s resentment of the former colour. She added merit to the national flag by the simple change she made. 

                                                    Fig: Surraiya Badruddin Tyabji

           Surraiya Badruddin was also the reason behind today’s national emblem as she produced the first depiction of national symbol based on the Ashoka’s sarnath lion capital. Which symbolized power, secularity, and also stood for dharma. This was way better than all the designs that were submitted from various artists and art schools to the then government.  The designs that flooded offices were mostly duped versions of British emblem. Thus Surriaya badruddin tyabji’s design for emblem stood out in simplicity and held enough grandeur to be India’s emblem.  Hence, making her one of the major figure behind both the emblem and the national flag of India that stands tall to this day. She personally made sure that the right choice of colour and fabric was used for creating Indian national flag, it was under her supervision today’s Indian flag came to life by July 22 1947. While Venkayya gave body to the national flag and Surraiya gave soul to it.

              The national flag’s saffron stands for courage and strength, the white for peace and truth, the green for fertility, growth and life while the dharma chakra for ‘wheel of law’. It keeps us reminding in a way how India should be and how Indians should be (i.e.) always in the direction of dharma aiming for peace and growth with immense strength just like our forefathers , or freedom fighters.

Tiranga in first celebrations:

                      

       Fig : Governor General Lord Mountbatten salutes India's National flag as Edwina Mountbatten, second right, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, right, look on during India's first Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi.

 

 

        India after two hundred years got its independence on august 15 1947. On the afternoon of 16th august the first public flag hoisting ceremony and salutations were held near the ‘war memorial arch’ presently known as ‘India gate’ in Delhi. Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime minister of India unfurled the tiranga ( tricolor )- Indian national flag. Lord Mountbatten the last viceroy and the first governor general of India paid salutations to the flag. A beautiful rainbow seemed to have appeared on the sky at the same time of unfurling. Lord Mountbatten’s words stands as the testimony for such an event. He wrote “the three colours Saffron, white and green on the flag of the new Dominion resembled so much the hues of the rainbow”.

 Fig: Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime minister of India unfurled the tiranga

      Prime Minister Nehru Unfurled the national flag for the first time on the ramparts of red fort on 16^th august 1947 at 8.30 am. This was a great moment in Indian history. In his speech Nehru emotionally recollected Netaji’s call to “Challo Dilli” and his dream to hoist the ‘flag of freedom’ atop Delhi’s red fort.