Did you know who designed India’s national flag? As India marks 75 years of Independence, the Tricolour represents the sovereignty and freedom, and each colour (saffron, white and green) points at courage, truth and peace, and faith and chivalry.
And this Tricolour was planted by freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya. On his 126th birth anniversary on Tuesday, the culture ministry has organised ‘Tiranga Utsav’, and a special commemorative postage stamp honouring Venkayya will be released.
Who is Pingali Venkayya?
Venkayya was born on August 2, 1876 at Bhatlapenumarru, near present-day Machilipatnam town in Andhra Pradesh. He completed his high school in Madras and went to Cambridge University and acquired knowledge in geology, agriculture, education and languages.
He went to South Africa as a young British Indian soldier where he was inspired by nationhood among British soldiers. It was when he saluted the Union Jack (the flag of Britain), and got inspired to design a national flag for India.
He was 19 years old during this stint, and met Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa, and became his staunch follower for around 50 years.
His love for languages brought him instant fame. His speech in Japanese at a school in Bapatla town in Andhra Pradesh made him famous and was called ‘Japan Venkayya’.
His massive research on Cambodian cotton, which was important to Machilipatnam, famous for Kalamkari handloom weaves, brought him the title ‘Patti Venkayya’.
Journey of Flag
Venkayya designed several models of national flag, starting from the one designed in 1921, which was approved by Mahatma Gandhi at a Congress meeting in Vijayawada. This version had two stripes (green and red) and Gandhian ‘charkha’ at the Centre. A white stripe was added on top at Gandhi’s suggestion, which became the original Tricolour.
Venkayya’s flag was seen at all Congress meetings until 1931 when the Congress adopted the Tricolour, with the saffron, white and green colour scheme, and the ‘chakra’ at the centre.
Life in Poverty
Venkayya died in penury and oblivion on July 4, 1963. It was in 2009, a postage stamp was released in his honour. Then urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu renamed AIR Vijayawada after Venkayya and unveiled a statue in the compound.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had last year proposed Venkayya’s name for Bharat Ratna.
The Modi government has launched ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign in which the Prime Minister has urged the people to keep Tricolour as their display pictures on social media profiles on August 2 and 15.
(with inputs from agencies)
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