Lesser known history of role of women in Flag Presentation Committee

Dr Rajendra Prasad , Chairman of  Constituent Assembly, also headed Ad hoc Committee on National Flag. Sarojini Naidu, C. Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi ,B. R. Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were the  members of this committee .

On 22July 1947 the resolution on National Flag was adopted.

On ,Thursday, the 14th August 1947, two National Flags one in silk and  another in cotton khadi was presented before Constituent Assembly. The Fifth Session of the Constituent Assembly of India commenced In the Constitution Hall, New Delhi, at Eleven P. M., Session began  with SINGING OF VANDE MATARAM .Chairman of the Constituent Assembly announced that  the first item on the Agenda was the singing of the first verse of VANDE MATARAM. Assembly would listen to it all standing.

 Shrimati Sucheta Kripalani  sang the first verse of the VANDE MATARAM sang.

 

Mrs. Hansa Mehta while  presenting the   Flag to the Nation  said" President, Sir, in the absense of

Shrimati Sarojini Naidu, it is my proud privilege, on behalf of the women of India, to

present this flag to the Nation through you.

 I have a list here of nearly a hundred prominent women of all communities who have expressed a desire to associate themselves with this ceremonial. There are hundreds and hundreds of other women who would equally like to participate in this function. It is in the fitness of things that this first flag that will fly over this august House should be a gift from, the women of India. (Cheers.) We have donned the saffron colour, we have fought, suffered and sacrificed in the cause of our country's freedom. We have today attained our goal. In presenting this symbol of our freedom, we once more offer our services to the nation. We pledge ourselves to work for a great India, for building' up a nation that will be a nation among nations. We pledge ourselves for working for a greater cause, to maintain the freedom that we have attained. We have great traditions to maintain, traditions that 'made India so great in the past. It is the duty of every man and woman to preserve these traditions so that India may hold her spiritual supremacy over the world. May this flag be the symbol of that great India and may it ever fly high and serve as a light in the bloom that threatens the world today. My It bring happiness to those who live under its protecting

care. (Cheers.)

 

Interestingly all the members of  the  FLAG PRESENTATION COMMITTEE were women.

.      1	Sarojini Naidu	38	Janaki Amma
2	Amrit kaur	39	Leelavathi Munshi
3	Vijayalakshmi pandit	40	Lavanya prabha Dutt
4	Hansa Mehta	41	Sophia Wadia
5	Ammu swaminathan	42	Mrinalini Chattopadhyay
6	Sucheta kripalani	43	Sarada Ben Mehta
7	Kudsia Aizaz Rasool	44	Zarina Currimbhoy
8	Durga Bai	45	Prem. Captain
9	Renuka Ray	46	Hemaprabha Das Gupta.
10	Dakshayini velayudan	47	Premavati Thappar
11	Purnima Banerji	48	Zora Ansari
12	Kamala chaudhri	49	Jaishri Raiji
13	Malati chaudhary	50	Kitty Shiva Rao
14	Abala Bose	51	Shanoodevi
15	Lakshmi Bai Rajwade	52	Violet Alva
16	Maitreyi Bose	53	Susheela Ilukusing
17	Rameshwari Nehru	54	Bina Das
18	Sherifa Hamid Ali	55	Sherifa Hamid Ali
19	Goshi Ben Captain	56	Goshi Ben Captain
20	Dhanavanti Rama Rao	57	Dhanavanti Rama Rao
21	Anasuya Bai Kale	58	Anasuya Bai Kale
22	Premleela Thakersy	59	Premleela Thakersy
23	Mani Ben Patel	60	Raksha Saran
24	Sarla Devi Sarabhai	61	Margaret Cousins
25	Avantikabai Gokhaley	62	Kamaladevi
26	Sakine Lukmani	63	Lakshmi Menon
27	Jankiben Bajaj	64	Lavanya Chanda
28	Muthulakshmi Reddi	65	Ayasha Ahmed
29	Charulata Mukerji	66	Krishna Hutheesingh
30	Rukamani Lakshmipathi	67	Rajan Nehru
31	Mithan Tata Lam	68	Indira Gandhi
32	Hannah Sen	69	Suraya Tyabji
33	Aswah Hussain	70	Memubai
34	Radhabai Subbroyan	71	Padmaja Naidu
35	Tarabhai premchand	72	Kiran Bose
36	Jethi Sipahimlani	73	Kusum Sayani
37	Ambuja Amma	74	Lajjavati Devi

 

Present legal Status-

Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971 provides punishment for dishonour to the Constitution, the National Flag , the National Anthem and the  National Song.

For the sake of convenience flag code of India 2002 has been divided into three parts. Part I of the Constitution contains general description of the National Flag. Part II of the code is devoted to the display of National Flag by members of public, private organisations ,educational institutions etc. Part III of the code relates to display of national flag by Central and State Government and their Organisations and Agencies. Flag ode of India 2002 came into force from January 26, 2002 and superseded  the Flag Code India, as it existed

Honourable Supreme Court has held in  Union Of India vs Naveen Jindal & Anr on 23 January, 2004 that "Right to fly the National Flag freely with respect and dignity is a fundamental right of a citizen within the meaning of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India being an expression and manifestation of his allegiance and feelings and sentiments of pride for the nation.