The tricolour's 64th birthday

A unique birthday celebration, initiated by a group of 33 people from all walks of life, will be observed at a few places in Mumbai and Thane tomorrow. Sixty-four years ago, on July 22, 1947, our national flag was adopted in its present form. However, few are aware that the day is also marked as the National Flag Adoption Day. Little wonder then that the day has never been celebrated. Ad film-maker Jaiprakash Bhande took the onus of making people observe the day by setting up a group —Project Tiranga Trust—during the Ayodhya verdict on September 30, 2010, along with some like-minded persons. To observe the day, the Indian flag will be hoisted at hospitals and housing societies. Besides, the tricolour and sweets will be distributed at railway stations. “The aim is not only to ensure that July 22 is celebrated across the country with patriotic fervour, but also to extend the celebration of this spirit on every single day. Thanks to the efforts of Naveen Jindal, today anybody can hoist the national flag, provided its dignity is maintained. For example, a housing society can fly the flag 24x7, given that every evening, the flag is lit up with special illumination. And yes, it has to be hoisted on a tall flagpole,” says Bhande. A Bohra Muslim and a founding member of the Project Tiranga Trust, Saifee Sapatwala, takes pride in the fact that both his housing complex and his community-initiated Saifee Hospital will be hoisting the flag permanently from Friday onwards. “There will be distribution of flags and sweets at Thane station on Friday. At least, four housing societies in Thane will be initiating the flag hoisting,” says Bhande. Unfortunately, because of the recent blast, to ensure security to the community by detracting any public limelight, the only synagogue in Thane district will not be having flag hoisting on Friday. Instead, on August 15, Indian Jews will be hoisting the flag, complete with night illumination for the first time in their synagogue, says Ezra Moses, the managing trustee of Shaar Hassamaim synagogue and a member of the Project Tiranga Trust. Our national flag was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on July 22, 1947, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of India. It was subsequently retained as that of the Republic of India. The flag is based on the Swaraj flag of the Indian National Congress designed by Pingali Venkayya.