New Delhi, December 25: Indian citizens can now fly the National Flag even at night but with certain conditions such as flagpole is really tall and the flag is kept well-illuminated. The Home Ministry took the decision following a proposal by industrialist Naveen Jindal, who had earlier won a court battle in the 1990s for flying the Tricolour as a fundamental right for every citizen.
In a communication to Jindal, also a Congress leader and Member of Parliament, the ministry said it has examined the proposal and had no objection to installing “giant flagpoles for flying the National Flag day and night at various places.” In a representation to the ministry in June 2009, Jindal had sought permission to fly mammoth-sizednational flag on monumental flagpoles during night. Jindal had said that the National Flag is to be flown in “as far as possible between sunrise and sunset” as per Flag Code of India, but it was a common practice worldwide for massive national flags to be flown day and night on monumentalflagpoles of 100 feet and above in height.
Citing the example of countries like Malaysia, Jordon, Abu Dhabi, North Korea, Brazil, Mexico and Turkmenistan where monumental flags are flown at night, Jindal proposed that such flags to be flown in India also. After almost a decade long legal battle initiated by Jindal on behalf of the people of India to give them the right to hoist the Tricolour publicly, the Supreme Court in 1996 passed a judgment allowing every citizen to fly thenational flag with respect, dignity and honour, thus making it a fundamental right.
–Agencies