Keep the flag waving

On January 26, numerous people from across the country tune into the television to watch the Republic Day Parade happening at the India Gate in New Delhi. This year, of course, with US President Barack Obama attending the parade as India's guest of honour, the TRPs are only going to soar higher. For many, the Republic Day celebrations begin and end here.
The real festivity, however, can be seen in how our communities celebrate this day. Flag hoisting ceremonies are conducted in schools and residential societies. The school principal or the oldest member of the housing society usually unfurls the flag, the national anthem is sung and then children and adults work together to spread the message of national integration. This is typically communicated through patriotic songs and skits, followed by a speech by the elders.

Prashant Shah, the owner of Flag Corp, a Mahalaxmi-based flag provider, says that there is a need to raise awareness about the national flag. "There are certain rules that need to be followed as they maintain the sanctity of the national flag. While we aren't the biggest flag distributor around, I believe that spreading the message amongst common people is important," he says.
Dalvir Singh of Juhu-based store The Flag Company, says that the sale of flags during this time increases tenfold. "We usually sell close to 1,00,000 flags per year, but August 15 and January 26 witness our peak sales," says Singh, whose store sells flags in all sizes imaginable—from 60ft x 90ft flags to flag pins, ones that can be attached on your breast pocket. "We sell flags to governments, corporates, societies and NGOs. The demand is great and it is a great market to be in," he says.

For many years, the Central Railway has followed Shah's idea of celebration. Chief Public Relations Officer, Narendra Patil, says that for the past several years, the Central Railway has been celebrating Republic Day outside Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. "We have a number of celebrations in the GM's office as well as the DRM's office. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) also conducts a small parade for us, following which we visit the Central Railway-run hospitals throughout the city and distribute sweets and fruits amongst the patients," he shares. The Western Railway has planned an award ceremony for those who have achieved excellence in the past year. Here too, the RPF will organise a parade for the Western Railway General Manager at the Western Railway grounds.
Andheri resident Shirley D'Silva-Sayyed, who spent many years celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day in her society as a child, says that her building no longer celebrates these days as all the children have grown up. "Earlier, the grown-ups would encourage children to participate, which they would with great enthusiasm. However, most of the children in our building have grown up now and some of them have even moved out. While we can still have a flag hoisting ceremony in the building, it isn't the same when there is no festivity or programme along with it," she laments.

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Republic Day celebration is the sale of plastic flags and tiny paper flags. While the BMC has spread messages discouraging people from purchasing plastic flags, these are still sold at almost every street corner during this time. On the other hand, the tiny paper flags that children and adults pin on their breast pocket, are strewn everywhere once the celebration is over. This is an insult to the national flag and is a punishable crime, as per the Indian Penal Code.
Colaba-based Kunti Oza, who chairs the Clean Mumbai Foundation, says that while her NGO isn't directly involved with any cleanliness drive on January 26, they are, with the help of BMC, telling children to not use plastic or paper flags. "We have asked them to use the metal pins instead as those can be reused for several years. The BMC says that they have already imposed a ban on plastic flags and will issue a notice about the same soon," shares Oza.

- Kora Kendra in Borivali houses India's only registered flag manufacturer, ONE THAT sendS flags to various branches of Khadi Gram Udyog Bhavan across the country.
- Khadi Gram Udyog Bhavan in Fort is one of the few places that sells flags made of authentic material prescribed by the Government of India.

1. Khadi or hand-spun cloth is the only material that is allowed to be used for the flag. A flag made of any other material is punishable under law, with imprisonment up to three years, in addition to a fine.
2. Raw material for khadi is restricted to cotton, silk and wool. Two types of khadi are used to make the flag: 1) the first is the khadi bunting, which makes up the flag's body, and 2) the second is the khadi duck, which is a beige-coloured cloth that holds the flag to the pole. The khadi duck makes use of three threads meshed into a weave, compared to the two weaves used in conventional weaving.