The mood at the country’s sole Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-recognised national flag manufacturing unit, Karnataka Khadi Gramodyog Samyukta Sangha, Bengeri, at Hubballi in northern Karnataka, is not upbeat. This is the unit in charge of supplying the Tricolour for hoisting atop the Red Fort. Every year, by the end of July, the Samyukta Sangha would have sent out national flags worth a total of 2.5 crores.
However, because of the Centre’s amendment to the National Flag Code that allows flags made of polyester cloth, the Sangha has only received half of the usual orders. So far, it has received orders for flags worth approximately 1.2 crores, but the Sangha has raw material stock to supply flags worth 5 crores. In anticipation of a vibrant ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration, the Samyukta Sangha set a lofty goal this year and purchased additional raw materials. The amendment to the Flag Code allowing polyester flags surprised not only the Samyukta Sangha, but also all those involved in the Khadi and Village Industries.
‘Har Ghar Tiranga’
Even though the government has launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, there is no demand for khadi flags manufactured here. One reason for this is that the sizes specified by the campaign (20X30 inches and 16×27 inches) are not permitted by the BIS’ national flag standards. The Hubballi unit, which was approved by BIS in 2004, strictly adheres to the Flag Code and manufactures only the nine specified flag sizes. BIS officials visit every three months to ensure that standards and quality are upheld. The second and most important reason is that a polyester flag is much less expensive than a khadi flag.
According to Shivanand Mathapathi of Samyukta Sangha, allowing polyester cloth has ‘trivialised’ the Tricolour’s sanctity. ‘ We take off our slippers and enter the khadi units, particularly the flag unit. And no Khadi Sangha likes to denigrate the Tricolour by using polyester cloth,’ he added. While speaking with this correspondent, he received calls requesting small flags for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, as well as polyester flags, to which he replied in the negative.
Letters of protest
In fact, when the news of the Flag Code amendment became public, the Khadi Sanghas convened and wrote to the Prime Minister and Home Minister requesting that the amendment be withdrawn. A copy was also sent to Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and local MP Pralhad Joshi. However, there has been no response thus far. They have now planned a symbolic protest for July 27. Around 500 people, mostly women involved in the production of khadi flags will protest the amendment at Hubballi’s Samykta Sangha. If the apathy persists, the plan is to increase the agitation.
In total, around 1,200 people, mostly women, work in the Sangha’s 15 units spread across the districts of Dharwad and Bagalkot. While the flag manufacturing unit is located in Hubballi and is responsible for stitching, printing, and dyeing, the khadi cloth is spun and woven in khadi units located throughout the Bagalkot district. The Khadi Sangha in Garag, Dharwad district, is a separate unit that weaves the khadi cloth for the flag, but it has currently ceased production.
Tricolour can be flown day and night.
As part of the same campaign, the government changed the country’s flag code to allow the tricolour to fly both day and night. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla stated in a letter to the secretaries of all central ministries and departments that the display, hoisting, and use of the Tricolour are governed by the Flag Code of India, 2002, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The Flag Code of India, 2002 was further amended by an order issued on July 20, 2022, and clause (xi) of paragraph 2.2 of Part-II of the Flag Code of India, 2002 is now read as follows: (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’.
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