Since 1997, as part of celebrating India's 50 years of Independence, we started producing our national flag in plastic.This to my mind is an antithesis to the values our flag, as a symbol, affirm and celebrate*. Flag which is supposed to be hand woven using good quality cotton, silk or wool fibres as specified.
It is shame to note that the only remaining community (Darwad- Karnataka ) that manufacture flags today for our use in the country is facing serious crisis and it has become impossible to continue the production.
* Our Flag is symbol of our resistance against imperialism,
a symbol of self reliance.
Our flag honor and celebrate labor,
labor seen not as drudgery but an act of consciousness and spirituality.
It affirm our faith and conviction in the philosophy that,
“the Means should justify the End”.
The flag affirm the value of authentic materials
- which radiate aura and energy,
which has a halo of truth around it.
Our flag is weaved .
It is weaved with fibres to make a reality,
- bringing a view of life in its totality.
An understanding of labor, materiel, spirituality-relationship among these,
An understanding of self reliance, freedom, celebration of life,
Inter connectedness, nonviolence, purity in thought and action.
The Flag produced in plastic is an antithesis to the values our National Flag stand for.
I hope these works help initiate a discussion on the subject.
C.F.John
1999
