India’s national symbols under scrutiny over use, meaning, and law, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• A complaint was filed against cricketer Hardik Pandya for allegedly insulting the national flag during celebrations after India's victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad.
• The national tricolour evolved through several stages, dating back to 1907, with early versions like the Calcutta Flag.
• In 2004, in Union of India v. Naveen Jindal, an Indian citizen’s fundamental right to fly the national flag was formally recognised.
• The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, prohibits burning, trampling, or improper display of the flag.
• Vande Mataram has been a subject of debate, with tensions arising from its association with Goddess Durga.
• In February, the Union government made it mandatory to sing the entire Vande Mataram song in official functions and schools.

Detailed Insights:

• The Calcutta Flag, designed by Sachindra Prasad Bose and Sukumar Mitra in 1907, featured three horizontal stripes of red, yellow, and green with eight half-open lotuses, inspired by the French Revolution.
• Sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, conceived a flag featuring the vajra (thunderbolt) to resonate with the masses during the Swadeshi movement.
• Bhikaji Cama unfurled a modified version of the Calcutta Flag in Stuttgart in 1907, becoming the first Indian to hoist the Indian flag on foreign soil.
• In 1917, Annie Besant hoisted a flag with nine horizontal stripes during the Home Rule movement in Coimbatore, supported by several nationalist leaders.
• Pingali Venkayya was asked by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 to design a flag with the charkha, symbolizing self-reliance.
• During the Quit India Movement in 1942, Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the flag in Bombay after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's arrest.
• Rabindranath Tagore expressed concerns in 1937 about Vande Mataram's association with Goddess Durga, leading to the adoption of Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem.
• The Flag Code of India, 2002, sets out detailed rules on how the national flag should be displayed, handled, and used.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Flag: A symbol representing a country's identity, history, and values.
• National Anthem: A patriotic song adopted by a country to evoke national pride.
• National Song: A song that holds cultural and historical significance for a nation.
• Flag Code of India, 2002: A set of laws, conventions, and instructions for the display of the National Flag.