Our Glorious Tricolour
Abheek Khamrui
National Flag is the most conspicuous
symbol of a nation. It epitomizes independence and oneness of the nationhood. Under unfurled National Flag every citizen stands
with sense of pride, dignity and love for the country. The National Flag of India,
fondly called as ‘Tiranga’ (Tricolour), was adopted in its present form during
the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, a few weeks before
India's independence on 15 August, 1947. It served as the National Flag of
Dominion of India from 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950 and that of Republic
of India thereafter. Sight of flying
Tiranga triggers reverberation of sense of patriotism and emotion in our nerves.
However, unfortunately, due to red tape, people of India were forbidden for
many decades after independence to hoist Tiranga except in some designated days
like Independence Day and Republic Day. Tiranga was considered by the
Government authorities as their own sceptre.
Shri Naveen Jindal, industrialist and Member of Parliament (2004-2014)
had to fight a long legal battle at Hon’ble Supreme Court to succeed in securing
the rights for the people of India to fly Tiranaga throughout the year with
respect and dignity. Being denied to hoist Tiranga for all days at his
company’s steel plant premise at Raigarh (Chhattisgarh) by the Government
authority, Shri Jindal had started his arduous endeavour with patriotic zeal in
1993 to get the rights of flying Tiranga for the general public of the country
on all days. As a result of his unfailing efforts, citizens of India have been
allowed by Government of India to fly the National Flag on all days from
January 26, 2002. In a historic judgment on January 23, 2004, Hon’ble Supreme
Court held that the right to fly the National Flag freely, with respect and
dignity, is a Fundamental Right of the citizens of India. The display of National Flag is governed by
the provisions of the ‘Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act,
1950’, ‘The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971’ and ‘The Flag
Code of India, 2002’.
The National Flag of India is rectangular
in shape and the ratio of width to length is two to three. It is composed of equal
horizontal bands of three colours - saffron at the top, white in the middle and
green at the bottom - and a navy blue wheel having 24 spokes in the centre of
the white band. The official name of saffron colour is ‘India-Saffron’ and
green colour is ‘India-Green’. The wheel in the middle known as ’Ashok Chakra’ is the depiction of ‘Dharma Chakra’ which appears on the abacus of the Lion
Capital of Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor. Its diameter approximates to the width
of the white band. Saffron colour of the National Flag stands for strength,
courage and spirit of renunciation. The white band indicates peace, truth and
purity. The green shows growth and fertility of the land. Blue colour of Ashok Chakra in our flag
signifies the boundless sky above and fathomless sea below. The Ashok Chakra suggests continual progress
of the country.
