Page 14 - NIS English November16-30

Special Report Constitution Day

THE CHAKRA FLAG CODE

l At the centre of l On January 26, 2002, the Indian Flag Code was modified after
the white band is a almost 55 years of Independence, allowing the people of India
24-spoke navy-blue to hoist the National Flag at their homes, offices and facto-
chakra called Dhar- ries every day and not just on National days as was the case
ma Chakra. Taken earlier. Now Indians can proudly display the National Flag
from the Lion Cap- anywhere and anytime, as long as the provisions of the Flag
ital of the Ashokan Code are strictly followed to avoid any inadvertant disrespect
pillar, the "wheel of to the Tricolour. For the sake of convenience, the Flag Code
the law" 'symbolises of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts: Part I of the
the progressiveness Code contains general description of the National Flag; Part
of the country. Its II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag
diameter approxi- by members of public, private organisations, educational in-
mates to the width stitutions, etc; and Part III of the Code relates to display of
of the white band the National Flag by Central and State governments and their
organisations and agencies.

EVOLUTION OF THE TRICOLOUR

The Indian Flag has undergone many changes since its first inception during the struggle for freedom. Some
of the historical milestones in the evolution of Indian Flag are:
l The first national flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square
(Green Park) in Calcutta (now Kolkata). The flag comprised three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green.
l The second flag was hoisted in 1907 in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries.
This was similar to the first flag. This flag was also exhibited at a socialist conference in Berlin.
l The third flag went up in 1917 when the political struggle had taken a definite turn. Annie Besant and Lok-
manya Tilak hoisted it during the Home Rule movement. This flag had five red and four green horizontal
stripes arranged alternately, with seven stars in the saptarishi configuration super-imposed on them. In the
left-hand top corner (the pole end) was the Union Jack. There was also a white crescent and star in one
corner.
l During the 1921 session of the All India Congress Committee at Bezwada (now Vijayawada) an Andhra
youth Pingali Venkayya 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. The flag adopted in 1931. This
flag was also the battle ensign of the Indian National Army.
l The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as
our national flag. This flag, the forerunner of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma
Gandhi's charkha (spinning wheel) at the centre. It was, however, clarified that it bore no communal signif-
icance and was not to be interpreted thus.
l On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the Independence,
the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Chakra of Emperor Ashoka re-
placed the spinning wheel at the centre.
Source: https://knowindia.gov.in

12 New India Samachar