For the second year in succession, despite the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sale of khadi flags in the sole khadi flag manufacturing unit of the country located in Hubballi has gone down further, thanks to the amendment made to the National Flag Code of India.
Just before the first call for Har Ghar Tiranga was given to mark the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of India’s Independence in 2022, the National Flag Code was amended to allow the use of flags made of polyester cloth.
Prior to 2022, the flag code allowed the use of only khadi flag. Hubballi houses the country’s sole BIS-recognised national flag manufacturing unit which functions under the Khadi Gramodyog Samyukta Sangha, Bengeri.
Fall in sales
Every year, by the end of July, the federation (Samyukta Sangha) would have dispatched tricolour worth ₹2.5 crore to various government departments, public sector banks and private associations and organisations.
But the amendment to flag code last year has left the unit struggling, despite more people hoisting the flag on Independence Day.
“So far, we have supplied national flags of different sizes worth ₹1.5 crore, which is much lower than any normal year. It is disheartening,” said secretary of Samyukta Sangha Shivanand Mathapathi, who is upset that khadi weavers and workers are made to suffer that too during the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations of the country’s Independence.
The Samyukta Sangha is yet to recover from the shock delivered by the Centre through the amendment.
Manufacturing flags
In all, around 1,200 persons, mainly women, are involved in the national flag manufacturing work in over 15 units of the sangha spread across the districts of Dharwad and Bagalkot.
While Bengeri in Hubballi houses the flag manufacturing unit, where the work of stitching, printing, dyeing takes place, the khadi cloth is spun and woven in the khadi units, including Tulasigeri (major unit), spread across the district of Bagalkot.
The sangha, recognised by BIS in 2004, strictly adheres to the flag code and consequently, it is the flag from this unit which is hoisted in places like the Red Fort and other major venues.
Repeated memoranda to the Union government on the issue by various organisations, including the khadi sanghas, have not made any impact so far.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi had last year termed it as a temporary measure to cater to the huge demand for flags. However, even after a year, the amendment to the flag code allowing polyester cloth flag has not been withdrawn.
As polyester cloth flags are cheap compared to khadi flags, naturally even the number of those who used to buy from the khadi sangha has come down.
Khadi activists and sanghas have maintained that reverting to the old system will give a new fillip to the khadi and village industries, on which Mahtma Gandhi used to lay emphasis. However, the government seems to be playing into the hands of private mill owners manufacturing polyester cloth flag, instead of protecting the khadi sector, they say.
