Today the flags of the Republic of India and the Commonwealth of Australia fly in commemoration of each country’s national day, which is celebrated today.
India
Republic Day is a national holiday in India commemorating the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of India and the country’s transition to a republic which came into effect on 26 January 1950. The flag of India was adopted by the initially adopted on July 22, 2917 and served as the flag of the Dominion of India from that date until January 26, 1950, when the Republic of India was founded. It has served as the nation’s flag since that time.
The government of India maintains a great web page on the history of the flag. According to that page, “In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.” It goes on to describe the chakra in the center of the flag thusly, “This Dharma Chakra depicted the “wheel of the law” in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.”
Section 1.1 of the Flag Code of India, an updated version of which was adopted by Parliament in 2002, defines the flag as follows: “The National Flag shall be a tri-colour panel made up of three rectangular panels or sub-panels of equal widths. The colour of the top panel shall be India saffron (Kesari) and that of the bottom panel shall be India green. The middle panel shall be white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. The Ashoka Chakra shall preferably be screen printed or otherwise printed or stenciled or suitably embroidered and shall be completely visible on both sides of the Flag in the centre of the white panel.”
My new neighbors requested this flag and I’m happy to fly it for them. Usually, I fly flags of equal size, but my flag of India was a gift from my father and stepmother, who purchased it on a visit to the subcontinent. No disrespect is intended.
Australia
Today, the flags of the Commonwealth of Australia flies in celebration of Australia Day, which is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a small bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour.
According to the National Australia Day Council, “Australia Day is about acknowledging the contribution every Australian makes to our contemporary and dynamic nation. From our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been here for more than 65,000 years, to those who have lived here for generations, to those who have come from all corners of the globe to call our country home. January 26th is an important date in Australia’s history that has evolved over time. Starting as a celebration for emancipated convicts, today it is a day to acknowledge past wrongs and show respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ survival, resilience and enduring culture. It is also a day we pay respect to the stories, histories and contributions of the Australians who lived, worked and fought for the values and freedoms we often take for granted.”
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the Australian Government has an excellent pamphlet entitled Australian Flags, which details the history of the Australian National flag and other Australian flags. The Flags Act 1953, passed by the Australian Parliament in December, proclaimed the Australian blue ensign as the national flag and the Australian red ensign as the flag for merchant ships registered in Australia. The Act was signed into law by Queen Elizabeth II on 14 February 1954, after she opened the Australian Parliament.
My Australian flag was a gift from my mother, who purchased it on a trip to Australia and New Zealand.
Cruesbreck Flags 