Chennai: The Union textile ministry headed by Smirti Irani has launched an inimitable way of celebrating the 70th Independence Day — Azadi ke Rang (Colours of Freedom) 70 Saal Yaad Karo Qurbani, to recall the sacrifice of our freedom fighters and to infuse patriotism among the people. But the man who conceived and designed the national tricolour — freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya — died in abject poverty in a hut in Vijayawada on July 4, 1963.
As August 15 dawns, the entire nation would get into a celebratory mood witnessing cultural events and spectacular march pasts by various contingents.
And the national tricolour would be flying high at several places. Venkayya’s quest for designing the Indian National Flag actually commenced in 1916.
After thoroughly researching the national flags of 30 countries for five years, he came up with the idea of the tricolour of Saffron, White and Green.
He had conceived the idea of the National flag on March 31, 1921 at the Kakinada conference of the Indian National Congress and the Mahatma added the white stripe to Venkayya’s saffron and green flag while Arya Samaj movement founder Lala Hansraj contributed the Dharm Chakra (Wheel of Law). It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July 22, 1947 and India attained independence on August 15, 1947.
This polyglot, with a doctorate in Geology, was born on August 2, 1876 to Hanumantharayudu and Venkataratnamma in Bhatlapenumarru near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
After he completed his primary education at Challapalli and schooling at the Hindu High School, Machilipatnam, he went to Colombo for his Senior Cambridge. He also studied at the Anglo-Vedic College, Lahore. Venkayya had joined the British Army at the age of 19.
A postage stamp was issued to commemorate him in 2009 and in January this year, Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu unveiled Venkayya’s statue at the All India Radio building in Vijayawada.
