News Analysis India

Tag: Tricolour

  • MP: Dalit sarpanch says not invited to hoist flag at school, accuses principal of making casteist jibes

    By PTI

    VIDISHA: A Dalit sarpanch has alleged that he was not invited to hoist the Tricolour in their village school on Independence Day and accused the principal of making casteist remarks against him in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, an official said.

    The official said a probe has been ordered to look into sarpanch Barelal Ahirwar’s allegations.

    Ahirwar, sarpanch of Bhagwantpur village, said that he was not invited by the principal of the local school to hoist the flag on I-Day.

    She also made casteist remarks against him, said Ahirwar.

    He claimed that according to the Panchayati Raj Act, the sarpanch is authorised to hoist the flag in the school.

    Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Harshal Choudhary, however, said that Ahirwar hoisted the flag at the village panchayat office but the sarpanch is not authorised to do so at the school.

    On the allegations of casteist remarks, Choudhary said a “Janpad Panchayat” official will probe into it and take action as per the law.

    Meanwhile, former Union minister and Congress leader Arun Yadav has sought a reply from the chief minister over Ahirwar’s allegations.

    VIDISHA: A Dalit sarpanch has alleged that he was not invited to hoist the Tricolour in their village school on Independence Day and accused the principal of making casteist remarks against him in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, an official said.

    The official said a probe has been ordered to look into sarpanch Barelal Ahirwar’s allegations.

    Ahirwar, sarpanch of Bhagwantpur village, said that he was not invited by the principal of the local school to hoist the flag on I-Day.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    She also made casteist remarks against him, said Ahirwar.

    He claimed that according to the Panchayati Raj Act, the sarpanch is authorised to hoist the flag in the school.

    Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Harshal Choudhary, however, said that Ahirwar hoisted the flag at the village panchayat office but the sarpanch is not authorised to do so at the school.

    On the allegations of casteist remarks, Choudhary said a “Janpad Panchayat” official will probe into it and take action as per the law.

    Meanwhile, former Union minister and Congress leader Arun Yadav has sought a reply from the chief minister over Ahirwar’s allegations.

  • PM Modi made it possible for Rahul Gandhi to hoist tricolour at Lal Chowk: BJP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI/JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created such an atmosphere in Kashmir that any Indian can hoist the national flag with pride at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the BJP said on Sunday and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to thank him for the change in the Valley.

    The comments from BJP spokesperson and former Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore came after Gandhi unfurled the tricolour at the historic clock tower of Lal Chowk, popularly known as ‘Ghanta Ghar’, as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which concludes on Monday.

    “Rahul Gandhi is hoisting tiranga with pride at Lal Chowk. PM Modi and his government had created such a situation in Kashmir that every Indian can unfurl tiranga with pride there. Rahul Gandhi must thank Modi ji after unfurling tiranga,” he said in a statement.

    Echoing similar views, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina said the credit for Gandhi unfurling the national flag goes to Modi who normalised the situation in the Valley with the abrogation of Article 370.

    Gandhi was able to do it because of the policies of Prime Minister Modi who dealt a severe blow to separatism and terrorism by abrogating Article 370 (in 2019) and strengthened nationalist forces, paving way for the normalisation of the situation and return of peace to the region, he said in Jammu.

    Raina said the Congress ruled the country for the most part of the past seven decades but none of its leaders dared to unfurl the tricolour at Lal Chowk. Modi, along with the then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi, unfurled the national flag at the same venue when terrorism was at its peak in 1990, he said.

    Today, peace and normalcy have returned to Kashmir due to the efforts of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi was able to move to Lal Chowk and unfurl the tricolour which none of his party leaders could do in the past 70 years, the BJP leader said.

    Referring to the recent statement of AICC in-charge J-K Rajni Patil that Gandhi will unfurl the national flag at the party headquarters rather than Lal Chowk which is the agenda of the RSS, Raina said, “Though late, the Congress has started working on the nationalist agenda of the RSS.”

    “We want to tell Gandhi and his party leaders to learn from the RSS members who have nationalist sentiments in their hearts and work for the nation,” he said in a swipe at the Congress.

    NEW DELHI/JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created such an atmosphere in Kashmir that any Indian can hoist the national flag with pride at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the BJP said on Sunday and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to thank him for the change in the Valley.

    The comments from BJP spokesperson and former Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore came after Gandhi unfurled the tricolour at the historic clock tower of Lal Chowk, popularly known as ‘Ghanta Ghar’, as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which concludes on Monday.

    “Rahul Gandhi is hoisting tiranga with pride at Lal Chowk. PM Modi and his government had created such a situation in Kashmir that every Indian can unfurl tiranga with pride there. Rahul Gandhi must thank Modi ji after unfurling tiranga,” he said in a statement.

    Echoing similar views, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina said the credit for Gandhi unfurling the national flag goes to Modi who normalised the situation in the Valley with the abrogation of Article 370.

    Gandhi was able to do it because of the policies of Prime Minister Modi who dealt a severe blow to separatism and terrorism by abrogating Article 370 (in 2019) and strengthened nationalist forces, paving way for the normalisation of the situation and return of peace to the region, he said in Jammu.

    Raina said the Congress ruled the country for the most part of the past seven decades but none of its leaders dared to unfurl the tricolour at Lal Chowk. Modi, along with the then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi, unfurled the national flag at the same venue when terrorism was at its peak in 1990, he said.

    Today, peace and normalcy have returned to Kashmir due to the efforts of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi was able to move to Lal Chowk and unfurl the tricolour which none of his party leaders could do in the past 70 years, the BJP leader said.

    Referring to the recent statement of AICC in-charge J-K Rajni Patil that Gandhi will unfurl the national flag at the party headquarters rather than Lal Chowk which is the agenda of the RSS, Raina said, “Though late, the Congress has started working on the nationalist agenda of the RSS.”

    “We want to tell Gandhi and his party leaders to learn from the RSS members who have nationalist sentiments in their hearts and work for the nation,” he said in a swipe at the Congress.

  • 108-feet high flag installed by Army in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The Army on Sunday inaugurated a 108-feet high national flag in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The tricolour was installed at Hyderbaigh in Pattan in the north Kashmir district, PRO Defence Col Emron Musavi said.

    He said General Officer Commanding, Counter-Insurgency Force (CIF) (Kilo), Major General S S Slaria, dedicated it to the people of Kashmir.

    The installation of the high mast was completed in a record time of 30 days, he said.

    The flag, constructed in collaboration with the Flag Foundation of India, not only instills a sense of pride and honour among the people but also honours all the bravehearts who have laid down their lives towards eliminating terrorism, the PRO said.

    The project is a part of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative of the central government.

    Major Gen Slaria appreciated the efforts of all those involved in the completion of the project.

    The people of Hyderbaigh Pattan also appreciated the district administration and the Army for this unique initiative, which will remain etched in the history of the area, the PRO Defence said.

    SRINAGAR: The Army on Sunday inaugurated a 108-feet high national flag in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The tricolour was installed at Hyderbaigh in Pattan in the north Kashmir district, PRO Defence Col Emron Musavi said.

    He said General Officer Commanding, Counter-Insurgency Force (CIF) (Kilo), Major General S S Slaria, dedicated it to the people of Kashmir.

    The installation of the high mast was completed in a record time of 30 days, he said.

    The flag, constructed in collaboration with the Flag Foundation of India, not only instills a sense of pride and honour among the people but also honours all the bravehearts who have laid down their lives towards eliminating terrorism, the PRO said.

    The project is a part of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative of the central government.

    Major Gen Slaria appreciated the efforts of all those involved in the completion of the project.

    The people of Hyderbaigh Pattan also appreciated the district administration and the Army for this unique initiative, which will remain etched in the history of the area, the PRO Defence said.

  • Chhattisgarh: Civic contract labourer electrocuted while setting up Tricolour in Koriya 

    By PTI

    KORBA: A 36-year-old contract labourer with the local civic body was electrocuted on Saturday in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district while erecting the Tricolour as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, a police official said.

    The incident took place at Pratiksha bus stand in the morning when the deceased, identified as Suman Tigga, was erecting the national flag on a mast along with another labourer, said Manendragarh Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Rakesh Kurre.

    “His colleague Ramkripal Singh (35) suffered injuries and is hospitalised. A group of labourers protested the death of Tigga. The situation was brought under control after Rs 1 lakh was paid as compensation to the deceased’s kin,” the SDOP said.

    KORBA: A 36-year-old contract labourer with the local civic body was electrocuted on Saturday in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district while erecting the Tricolour as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, a police official said.

    The incident took place at Pratiksha bus stand in the morning when the deceased, identified as Suman Tigga, was erecting the national flag on a mast along with another labourer, said Manendragarh Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Rakesh Kurre.

    “His colleague Ramkripal Singh (35) suffered injuries and is hospitalised. A group of labourers protested the death of Tigga. The situation was brought under control after Rs 1 lakh was paid as compensation to the deceased’s kin,” the SDOP said.

  • Congress, its leaders change social media display pics to Nehru holding tricolour

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress and a host of its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday changed their social media display pictures to an image of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag.

    A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders made the ‘tiranga’ their profile picture on social media platforms, Congress leaders and the party’s official handles put a photograph of Nehru with the tricolour as their display picture on Twitter and other social media platforms The image, likely photoshopped, was the same — a black and white photograph of Nehru looking at the flag, in colour, in his hand.

    “Our tiranga is the pride of our country, the tiranga is in the heart of every Indian,” former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet as he changed the display picture of his social media accounts.

    His colleague Jairam Ramesh took a dig at the prime minister, asking if the organisation that did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years will comply with his message to make the ‘tiranga’ the profile picture of social media accounts.

    “In the Lahore session of 1929, while hoisting the flag on the banks of river Ravi, Pandit Nehru said, ‘Once again you have to remember that this flag has now been hoisted.

    As long as there is a single Indian man, woman, child alive, the prestige of this tricolour should not be lowered,” Ramesh tweeted in Hindi.

    “We are putting the DP of our leader Nehru with tricolour in hand. But it seems that the message of the Prime Minister did not reach his own family. Those who did not hoist the flag in their headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years, will they follow the Prime Minister’s message?” Ramesh said in an obvious reference to the RSS.

    He used the hashtag ‘MyTirangaMyPride’.

    “विजयी विश्व तिरंगा प्यारा,झंडा ऊँचा रहे हमारा” pic.twitter.com/KiWa7EP5qM
    — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 3, 2022
    In a jibe at the BJP over the change in flag code to allow for polyester flags, Ramesh tagged a tweet with Nehru’s picture holding the flag and said, “and that is in Khadi”.

    Congress’ media department head Pawan Khera as well as some other party leaders shared screenshots of the Twitter handles of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its chief Mohan Bhagwat and pointed out that they had not changed their profile picture to reflect the Tricolour.

    “People of the Sangh, at least now adopt the tricolour,” Khera tweeted.

    Among the other party leaders who changed their DPs in the run-up to Independence Day were Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate.

    The official Twitter handle of the party as well as that of the Congress Seva Dal and other party-related organisations also changed their profile pictures on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

    READ HERE | Mehbooba Mufti’s new Twitter display pic shows tricolour, old J&K flag

    “The tricolour is in our hearts, it is in our veins as blood. Let us all make this tricolour which gives the message of unity, our identity. Jai Hind,” the Congress said on Twitter.

    On Tuesday, Modi changed his display picture on social media accounts to the national flag and urged people to do the same as part of a collective movement to celebrate the tricolour.

    Other senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers, followed suit.

    Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers Yogi Adityanath and Shivraj Singh Chouhan were among a large number of party members who switched their profile pictures on Twitter to the national flag.

    In his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast on Sunday, Modi said the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is turning into a mass movement and urged people to put the ‘tiranga’ as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

    NEW DELHI: The Congress and a host of its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday changed their social media display pictures to an image of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag.

    A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders made the ‘tiranga’ their profile picture on social media platforms, Congress leaders and the party’s official handles put a photograph of Nehru with the tricolour as their display picture on Twitter and other social media platforms The image, likely photoshopped, was the same — a black and white photograph of Nehru looking at the flag, in colour, in his hand.

    “Our tiranga is the pride of our country, the tiranga is in the heart of every Indian,” former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet as he changed the display picture of his social media accounts.

    His colleague Jairam Ramesh took a dig at the prime minister, asking if the organisation that did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years will comply with his message to make the ‘tiranga’ the profile picture of social media accounts.

    “In the Lahore session of 1929, while hoisting the flag on the banks of river Ravi, Pandit Nehru said, ‘Once again you have to remember that this flag has now been hoisted.

    As long as there is a single Indian man, woman, child alive, the prestige of this tricolour should not be lowered,” Ramesh tweeted in Hindi.

    “We are putting the DP of our leader Nehru with tricolour in hand. But it seems that the message of the Prime Minister did not reach his own family. Those who did not hoist the flag in their headquarters in Nagpur for 52 years, will they follow the Prime Minister’s message?” Ramesh said in an obvious reference to the RSS.

    He used the hashtag ‘MyTirangaMyPride’.

    “विजयी विश्व तिरंगा प्यारा,
    झंडा ऊँचा रहे हमारा” pic.twitter.com/KiWa7EP5qM
    — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 3, 2022
    In a jibe at the BJP over the change in flag code to allow for polyester flags, Ramesh tagged a tweet with Nehru’s picture holding the flag and said, “and that is in Khadi”.

    Congress’ media department head Pawan Khera as well as some other party leaders shared screenshots of the Twitter handles of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its chief Mohan Bhagwat and pointed out that they had not changed their profile picture to reflect the Tricolour.

    “People of the Sangh, at least now adopt the tricolour,” Khera tweeted.

    Among the other party leaders who changed their DPs in the run-up to Independence Day were Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate.

    The official Twitter handle of the party as well as that of the Congress Seva Dal and other party-related organisations also changed their profile pictures on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

    READ HERE | Mehbooba Mufti’s new Twitter display pic shows tricolour, old J&K flag

    “The tricolour is in our hearts, it is in our veins as blood. Let us all make this tricolour which gives the message of unity, our identity. Jai Hind,” the Congress said on Twitter.

    On Tuesday, Modi changed his display picture on social media accounts to the national flag and urged people to do the same as part of a collective movement to celebrate the tricolour.

    Other senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers, followed suit.

    Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers Yogi Adityanath and Shivraj Singh Chouhan were among a large number of party members who switched their profile pictures on Twitter to the national flag.

    In his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast on Sunday, Modi said the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is turning into a mass movement and urged people to put the ‘tiranga’ as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

  • Mehbooba Mufti’s new Twitter display pic shows tricolour, old J&K flag

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday put a new Twitter display picture that shows her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the national flag and the now-derecognised flag of Jammu and Kashmir.

    In his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast this Sunday, PM Modi had said the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is turning into a mass movement and urged people to put ‘tiranga’ as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

    Putting the new display picture, Mehbooba said the flag of Jammu and Kashmir might have been “snatched”, but it cannot be erased from the collective conscience of the people.

    The photograph was taken at a rally addressed by the prime minister during his Kashmir visit in November 2015 when Mufti Sayeed was chief minister of the erstwhile state.

    “Changed my dp since a flag is a matter of joy & pride. For us our state flag was irreversibly linked to the Indian flag. It was snatched thus breaking away the link. You may have robbed us of our flag but cant erase it from our collective conscience,” Mehbooba tweeted.

    Changed my dp since a flag is a matter of joy & pride.For us our state flag was irreversibly linked to the Indian flag. It was snatched thus breaking away the link. You may have robbed us of our flag but cant erase it from our collective conscience. pic.twitter.com/HZxQROn3fK
    — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 3, 2022
    The Twitter post by the former chief minister also comes two days ahead of the third anniversary of revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

    With the revocation of the special status, the Jammu and Kashmir flag was also derecognised.

    SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday put a new Twitter display picture that shows her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the national flag and the now-derecognised flag of Jammu and Kashmir.

    In his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast this Sunday, PM Modi had said the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is turning into a mass movement and urged people to put ‘tiranga’ as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

    Putting the new display picture, Mehbooba said the flag of Jammu and Kashmir might have been “snatched”, but it cannot be erased from the collective conscience of the people.

    The photograph was taken at a rally addressed by the prime minister during his Kashmir visit in November 2015 when Mufti Sayeed was chief minister of the erstwhile state.

    “Changed my dp since a flag is a matter of joy & pride. For us our state flag was irreversibly linked to the Indian flag. It was snatched thus breaking away the link. You may have robbed us of our flag but cant erase it from our collective conscience,” Mehbooba tweeted.

    Changed my dp since a flag is a matter of joy & pride.For us our state flag was irreversibly linked to the Indian flag. It was snatched thus breaking away the link. You may have robbed us of our flag but cant erase it from our collective conscience. pic.twitter.com/HZxQROn3fK
    — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 3, 2022
    The Twitter post by the former chief minister also comes two days ahead of the third anniversary of revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

    With the revocation of the special status, the Jammu and Kashmir flag was also derecognised.

  • Government tweaks Indian flag code; now tricolour can be flown day and night

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government has changed the country’s flag code by allowing the tricolour to fly both day and night and be machine-made besides use of polyester.

    The move came as the government is going to launch a ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (hoisting of flag in every home) from August 13 to 15 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

    In a letter to secretaries of all central ministries and departments, union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said the display, hoisting and use of the Indian national flag is governed by the Flag Code of India, 2002 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

    The Flag Code of India, 2002 has been further amended through an order on July, 20, 2022 and clause (xi) of paragraph 2.2 of Part-II of the Flag Code of India, 2002 shall now be read as under:- (xi) “where the Flag is displayed in open or displayed on the house of a member of public, it may be flown day and night”.

    Earlier, the tricolour is allowed to be flown from sun rise to sunset, irrespective of weather conditions. Similarly, paragraph 1.2 of Part-I of the Flag Code of India, 2002 shall now be read as under: 1.2.

    “The National Flag shall be made of hand spun and hand woven or machine made, cotton/ polyester/ wool/ silk khadi bunting.” Earlier machine made and polyester flags are not allowed to be used.

    The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is being celebrated to commemorate 75 years of a progressive independent India.

    The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign has been launched to encourage the citizens to hoist the national flag in their homes from August 13 to 15.

    The home secretary also enclosed with his letter the salient features of the Flag Code including the changes made on December, 30, 2021 and July 20, 2022 and the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the use and display of the national flag.

    “You are requested to ensure that these are widely disseminated among various organisations, PSUs under your administrative control,” the home secretary said in his letter.

    NEW DELHI: The government has changed the country’s flag code by allowing the tricolour to fly both day and night and be machine-made besides use of polyester.

    The move came as the government is going to launch a ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (hoisting of flag in every home) from August 13 to 15 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

    In a letter to secretaries of all central ministries and departments, union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said the display, hoisting and use of the Indian national flag is governed by the Flag Code of India, 2002 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

    The Flag Code of India, 2002 has been further amended through an order on July, 20, 2022 and clause (xi) of paragraph 2.2 of Part-II of the Flag Code of India, 2002 shall now be read as under:- (xi) “where the Flag is displayed in open or displayed on the house of a member of public, it may be flown day and night”.

    Earlier, the tricolour is allowed to be flown from sun rise to sunset, irrespective of weather conditions. Similarly, paragraph 1.2 of Part-I of the Flag Code of India, 2002 shall now be read as under: 1.2.

    “The National Flag shall be made of hand spun and hand woven or machine made, cotton/ polyester/ wool/ silk khadi bunting.” Earlier machine made and polyester flags are not allowed to be used.

    The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is being celebrated to commemorate 75 years of a progressive independent India.

    The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign has been launched to encourage the citizens to hoist the national flag in their homes from August 13 to 15.

    The home secretary also enclosed with his letter the salient features of the Flag Code including the changes made on December, 30, 2021 and July 20, 2022 and the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the use and display of the national flag.

    “You are requested to ensure that these are widely disseminated among various organisations, PSUs under your administrative control,” the home secretary said in his letter.

  • ASI restoring Tricolour hoisted at Chennai’s Fort St George on August 15, 1947. Details here

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The restoration and preservation of the oldest known surviving Indian national flag, which was hoisted at Fort St George in Chennai on August 15, 1947, has begun under the supervision of an expert committee set up by its custodian–the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

    The Survey has sought the assistance of the experts from the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and Silk Board to assess the damage after which a suitable methodology was devised to preserve the tricolour. The restoration is being done by ASI’s science branch.

    “Conservation and preservation of the vintage national flag hoisted in Chennai commenced by the Science Branch in November. The initial examination to identify the composition of the material, thread counts, thickness measurements, and fragility with the help of microscopic and other non-destructive analytical techniques was undertaken by the team formed especially for the purpose. Our experts are also part of the team. The suitable methodology was devised by the team and the work is under progress,” said an official of the ASI.

    In 2017, it was reported that the flag was in a poor state and required immediate restoration intervention. The ASI expedited its efforts to conserve it in March last year when the director-general (D-G) held meetings to discuss conservation treatment.

    Subsequently, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had expressed willingness to undertake the conservation of the tricolour.

    In a letter to ASI’s director general (DG) V Vidyavathi, the trust offered its service free saying that it (conservation task) would be a matter of ‘pride’ for it.

    The 12feet by 8feet pure silk flag was part of the ASI’s reserve collection for decades. It was placed for public display at the museum on Fort St George campus for the first time in January 2013.

    The flag has been kept in an airtight wooden-glass showcase surrounded by six bowls of silica gel to regulate humidity and absorb moisture to prevent it from deterioration. 

    The flag was hoisted after lowering the British Union Jack on August 15 in 1947 at Fort St George.

    “We are doing it departmentally with the help of experts from the science branch. The work is expected to complete before the Republic Day, after which it may be placed for public viewing again,” said an official of the ASI, privy to the restoration project.

  • Pics show Indian Army unfurling tricolour in Galwan Valley on New Year, bust PLA propaganda

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Indian Army unfurled the Tricolour in the Galwan valley, Ladakh on the occasion of New Year. As per sources in the security establishment, the Indian Army personnel had hoisted the National flag in Galwan on New Year’s eve.
    The move comes amid reports in a section of media that claimed that Chinese soldiers had displayed their flag in the region a few days ago.

    Earlier, the media reported that the Chinese government had sought to “rename” 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh in its map two days ahead of implementing new border law.

    The Indian Government on last Thursday said that it has seen reports of China attempting to rename some places in Arunachal Pradesh “in its own language” and asserted that the border state has been and will always be an integral part of India and “assigning invented names does not alter this fact”.

    In response to a media query on reports that China has renamed some places in Arunachal Pradesh in its own language, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said China had also sought to assign such names in April 2017.

    Indian Army soldiers in Galwan Valley on #NewYear(Photo credit: Sources in security establishment) pic.twitter.com/GJxK0QOW48
    — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022
    After the Galwan clash in 2020, several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have ended in a stalemate. Disengagement at some border points did take place but by and large, there is an impasse on complete disengagement. Disengagement at Depsang and Hot Springs remains a key sticky point.

    A huge build-up of forces on each side of Eastern Ladakh even during harsh winters indicates that conflict is far from being defused.

    India maintains that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) had been caused by unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter the status quo and in violation of the bilateral agreements. It was therefore necessary that the Chinese side take appropriate steps in the remaining areas so as to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector.

  • TMC attacks BJP after Dilip Ghosh unfurls Tricolour upside down 

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: In a goof-up, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh unfurled the Tricolour upside down at a party office in Birbhum district during a Republic Day programme on Tuesday.

    Immediately after unfurling the national flag at the party’s Rampurhat office, Ghosh realised that the Tricolour was upside down with green on top and rectified the mistake by bringing it down and hoisting it properly.

    The TMC, however, did not miss the opportunity to sting the saffron party, saying those who can’t hoist the national flag properly are unfit to run the country or a state.

    “It was an embarrassing moment and it happened due to an inadvertent mistake. Nobody had the intention to dishonour the national flag. However, I have asked party members to be careful in the future,” Ghosh told reporters.

    Reacting to the incident, district TMC chief Anubrata Mondal said, “Those who cannot ensure proper unfurling of the national flag are not fit to run the country or a state.”