90th anniversary of first hoisting of a Tricolour celebrated in Ahmedabad

Mayor Asit Vora paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the 90th anniversary of the first flag hoisting on Sunday. He also launched the republished book 'Rashtra Geet' which was compiled by Indulal Yagnik (Induchacha), a freedom fighter and prominent leader of the MahaGujarat Movement.

Dr Rizwan Kadri, researcher, said that Mahatma Gandhi had hoisted the first tri-colour flag, then with white, green and red stripes, and a 'charkha' in the centre on December 26, 1921 during the 36th session of Indian National Congress.

"VS Hospital is the place where the tri-colour was hoisted for the first ever time and Gandhiji gave a call for freedom," said Kadri. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was also present during the session, later handled the 'Zanda Satyagrah' in Nagpur in 1923.

Patel became president of Ahmedabad Municipality in 1924 and with donations from Vadilal Sarabhai and Seth Nagindas Chinai, he built VS Hospital and Seth Chinai Maternity Home for treatment of poor people of the city, which were inaugurated on December 13, 1931, he said.

He also said that the fountain in the VS Hospital campus is maintained well even today.

About 'Rashtra Geet', he said that it has been republished after 90 years. This was Induchacha's first compilation of poems, which was inspired by 'Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna'.

Former mayor Amit Shah, standing committee chairman Bhupendra Patel, BJP leader Gautam Shah, & leader of opposition Badiruddin Shaikh also paid tribute to the Mahatma and the tri-colour.