The Quest for a National Symbol
The story of India's national flag is the story of its freedom struggle. Before the Tiranga, several flags represented the burgeoning independence movement. One of the earliest was hoisted in 1906 in Calcutta, featuring three horizontal stripes of red,
yellow, and green. This was followed by the 'Saptarishi Flag' hoisted by Madame Cama in Paris in 1907. Later, in 1917, Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak introduced a flag for the Home Rule Movement which, interestingly, included the Union Jack in one corner, signifying the demand for self-rule within the British Empire. These early designs reflected a growing desire for a distinct identity, but a unified symbol was yet to emerge. Each flag was a milestone, capturing the political sentiments of its time and paving the way for a single banner that could unite all Indians.
Gandhi and the Charkha Flag
The turning point came in 1921. At the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Bezwada (now Vijayawada), a young freedom fighter and scholar, Pingali Venkayya, presented a design to Mahatma Gandhi. Initially, it had two stripes, red for Hindus and green for Muslims. Gandhi, however, suggested adding a white stripe to represent other communities and, crucially, placing the 'Charkha' or spinning wheel at its centre. The Charkha was the heart of the Swadeshi movement, symbolising self-reliance, economic freedom, and the power of the common Indian. By 1931, the Indian National Congress officially adopted a version of this flag: a tricolour of saffron, white, and green, with the Charkha in the middle. For the next decade and a half, this 'Swaraj Flag' became the preeminent symbol of the freedom movement.
A Committee for a New Era
As independence drew near in 1947, the Constituent Assembly, tasked with drafting the Constitution for a free India, recognised the need to finalise a national flag. The flag of the Congress party was a powerful symbol, but the leaders wanted a banner that was acceptable to all parties and communities, without any sectarian undertones. On June 23, 1947, an ad-hoc committee was formed, headed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Its members were a veritable who's who of the era, including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, C. Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Their mission was to take the essence of the Swaraj Flag and adapt it into a symbol for the new, sovereign nation.
From Charkha to Chakra
The committee's most significant recommendation was to replace the Charkha with the Ashoka Chakra. This was a deliberate and deeply symbolic choice. While the Charkha was intrinsically linked to the freedom struggle and the Congress party, the leaders wanted a symbol that reached further back into India's history and philosophy. The Ashoka Chakra, or the 'Wheel of Law', is taken from the Sarnath Lion Capital of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka from the 3rd century BCE. It represented 'Dharma'—the eternal principle of law, righteousness, and motion. As Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan later explained, the wheel signifies that there is life in movement and death in stagnation; India must move forward. This change ensured the flag represented the nation's ancient past and its dynamic future, not just the political movement that led to its freedom.
A Unanimous Adoption
On July 22, 1947, just weeks before the transfer of power, Jawaharlal Nehru presented the resolution to the Constituent Assembly. He proposed the horizontal tricolour of deep saffron, white, and dark green, with the navy blue Ashoka Chakra in the centre. Nehru emphasised that the colours had no communal significance; saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith and fertility. The resolution was passed unanimously, with members rising for a standing ovation. The flag of a free India was born, retaining the spirit of the Swaraj flag but transformed into a universal symbol for a new republic. It was first hoisted officially on August 15, 1947, as the emblem of the Dominion of India.
