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A National Flag is not just a piece of cloth, but it symbolizes the most sacred values a country stands for. In short it represents the country itself. This is the reason why we salutes or stand up when seeing a national Flag. Arthur Marcy once said “Cheers for the sailors that fought on the wave for it, Cheers for the soldiers that always were brave for it, Tears for the men that went down to the grave for it, Here comes the flag!” Indian national flag is horizontal, rectangular in shape with tri color, saffron, white and green. The center of the flag is a blue wheel or chakra with 24 spokes. The flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India and is a symbol of national pride. The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the first president of India. Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. It mean that the leaders of this country must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre means light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green symbolises our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change. This Dharma Chakra depicted the “wheel of the law” in the Sarnath ,the Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
The flag was originally designed by Sri. Pingali Venkaya in 1921 with a traditional spinning wheel in the middle. Later, Tradition spinning wheel was replaced by Ashoka Chakra. Later, the National Flag of India was adopted in its present form during the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on the 22 July 1947. The flag is respectfully hosted on national festivals like independence day and republic day. Students take an oath and sing national anthem while unfurling the national flag in the schools and colleges. Public and private organization members may also hoist the flag on any occasions, ceremonial event, etc. It is restricted to display the national flag for any communal or personal gains. Nobody is allowed to display the flag made of other clothes otherwise it is a punishment of imprisonment and fine. National Flag can be flown from morning till evening (sunrise to sunset) in any weather. It is prohibited to intentionally dishonour the national flag or touch it to the ground, floor or trail in water. It should not be used to cover the top, bottom, sides or back of any vehicle, like car, boat, trains, or aircraft. On flag other than the Indian should be displayed at higher level. Our National Flag is our pride. We must uphold its dignity even if it is at the cost of our lives. It must always flow high as it is a symbol of the freedom that was earned after years of struggle and sacrifices.
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