Indian flag code amendment

"It will be necessary for us Indians -- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all others to whom India is their home -- to recognise a common flag to live and die for."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

                    The Amendment to the Flag code in India. 2002

Indian flag code amendment .The 53rd Republic Day on January 26, 2002, was a very special day for Indians. Fifty-four years after the tiranga was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national flag, the citizens were free to hoist the Indian flag  thanks to a public interest petition filed by Navin Jindal, a young industrialist from Madhya Pradesh, India .

This amendment removed the restrictions which  only allowed government offices and higher functionaries of government to fly the Indian flag freely.

Before the amendent, the general public could do so only on a few selected national days, eg. the Independence Day and Republic Day of India.

The government's decision took place after a public interest petition  filed by Mr. Navin Jindal, an industrialist from Madhya Pradesh, in the Delhi High Court. The case moved upto the Supreme Court of India, which asked the government to set up a committee to review Jindal's public interest petition .

 The Union cabinet of India approved an amendment to the Indian flag code with some modifications and  conditions intended to safeguard the flags dignity, honor and respect.

 The courts found nothing unreasonable in the patriotic justification by  Mr. Jindal, who used to hoist the flag atop his office. Earlier having done so and he found the flag confiscated for apparently going against the flag code.  Mr. Jindal argued that flying his countries flag was indeed his fundamental right as an Indian citizen, a way to express his  love and faith.

Finally the ban on display of Indian national flag by Indians was lifted thanks to the Delhi high court and the supreme court, and of course Mr. Jindal. The Union cabinet approved an amendment to the flag code with some modifications and conditions intended to safeguard its dignity and honor. The landmark judgment to the Indian Flag code came on 15th January, 2002.