B D Sharma
The Indian National Flag, the tricolor or Tiranga is one of the most prized national symbols for any Indian and it is to preserve the honour and glory of this flag that thousands of our countrymen have laid down their lives. In our State the National Flag used to be flown along with the State Flag on the conspicuous Govt buildings. But after the introduction of the epoch making constitutional changes with regard to our State few weeks back, the National flag is flying in all its glory and the State flag has been removed from the Civil Secretariat building as also from some other Govt buildings. The State flag had remained one of the key points of controversy between the full integrationists and the proponents of autonomy of the State. Right from the days of agitation of Praja Parishad in 1952-53 the core slogan of many people in our State had remained ‘Ek Pradhan, EkVidhan and EkNishan’ wherein the Nishan symbolized the National flag.
A separate flag for the State had a special place in the minds of the leaders of the then ruling party and as such while negotiating the Delhi Agreement in the year 1952 they had insisted on having a State flag in the State and also exhibited some reluctance to have the National Flag in the State. However Govt of India brought the State leaders round to their views and consequently in the Agreement the Union Govt agreed that the State might have its own flag in addition to the Union flag. Simultaneously it was agreed by the State Govt that the State flag would not be a rival of the Union flag. It was also recognized that the Union Flag should have the same status and position in Jammu and Kashmir as it has in the rest of India. But for the historical reasons connected with the freedom struggle in the State the need for continuance of the State Flag was recognized.
Subsequently on June, 7,1952 a resolution was passed by the State Constituent Assembly adopting the official State Flag. This flag in fact had been adopted by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, the main political party of the State then, on 11 July, 1939. Later Section 144 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was enacted to state that the flag shall be rectangular 3:2 format. Its colour was red in line with the leftist thinking according to which the red colour represented the labour class while a plough on the flag symbolized the peasantry .Next to the staff, there were three vertical white stripes representing the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The National Conference leaders contended that the State Flag represented the aspirations of the New Kashmir Programme of the Party wherein the primacy was accorded to the betterment of the labourers and the peasants. The enactment of the highly revolutionary Big Landed Estates Abolition Act flowed out of this idealism. No doubt the State flag epitomized the idealism of Sheikh Abdullah and his colleagues in the National Conference but some of these leaders got so much enamoured of the State flag that they gave a short shrift to the importance of National Flag. No doubt the things had remained hazy after the signing of the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh in so far as hoisting of the National Flag was concerned but the doubts of the then State leadership had amply been removed after signing of the Delhi agreement between the Union and State Governments. Consequently the National Flag did not find its rightful place in the State. This resulted in infuriating the passions of the nationalistic forces in Jammu where this issue formed one of the key points of their agitation. On the other hand the authorities in Delhi particularly Pt Nehru felt uncomfortable in the face of this stubbornness of the Sheikh and some of his colleagues. Resultantly the hoisting of the National Flag on the building of State Secretariat remained one of the important issues brewing differences between the Union and the State Governments. In this connection the correspondence which the young Sadar-i-Riyasat Dr Karan Singh had with Prime Minister Nehru makes an interesting reading and remains of much interest both to the common man as well as to the historian.
The Delhi agreement had been signed on 24 July 1952 yet the National Flag did not find its place on the prominent buildings of the State Govt. So in the circumstances Dr Karan Singh apprised PM Nehru videhis letter on 26 Nov 1952 on these lines. “There is, as you know, a flag controversy here. My suggestion to Bakshi Saheb and others has been that the Indian Flag should be hoisted upon the Secretariat and should continue to fly there along with the new State flag. As we are an integral part of India, this will be the correct thing to do and what is more it will at the same time take the wind from the sails of those who are attempting to mislead the people in the name of India. The matter is being considered and I hope my suggestion will be accepted.” This was not such an intractable issue which required much of a thinking. The matter had amply been resolved by the Delhi agreement still the suggestion of the young Sadar-i-Riyasat didn’t find favour with the State Govt. This becomes evident from the contents of the letter of Dr Karan Singh dated 1st December 1952 in which he again conveys to Pt Nehru ” Today the new State flag was hoisted upon the Secretariat here, but I am afraid my suggestion about also hoisting the Indian flag has not been accepted. I feel that would have been a graceful and becoming gesture, which might have had a very healthy psychological effect and would have forestalled much trouble.”
The issue remained under discussion between the State and the Union Governments at various levels still the State Govt didn’t care a fig about resolving it. Since the matter remained at the same pedestal, the Sadar-i-Riyasat is again found conveying his lamentations to Pt Nehru. In his letter of 29 Jan 1953 he wrote ” On Republic Day I took the salute at a March Past of some Army detachments followed by about 1500 school and college students. I also unfurled the National flag on that occasion. The National flag was flown upon the Secretariat and other buildings in Jammu on that day but I was disappointed to see that it has been taken down from the Secretariat. I was hoping that this opportunity would be taken to keep the Flag flying at least upon the Secretariat along with the State flag and as a matter of fact had suggested this to Bakshi and others. Bakshi has agreed with me but it seems that he has been overruled.” Dr Karan Singh seems to have missed no opportunity to highlight this issue again with the Prime Minister Nehru as it is seen that he reiterates again on 23 Feb 1953 ” It would be a becoming gesture if the State Govt decides to fly the National Flag upon the Secretariat in addition to the new State Flag.”
These efforts didn’t bear any fruit and the Sheikh Abdullah Govt didn’t pay any attention to the pleas of the Head of the State. The Sheikh had other designs in mind. His interactions with the Western diplomats had firmed up his convictions that his dreams of an independent State are not far to achieve. He started to speak the language of a rebel. The policy planners in Delhi didn’t take kindly to these activities of the Sheikh. As it would happen the three members of his cabinet namely Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, Sham LalSaraf and GirdhariLalDogra confronted their Prime Minister with the evil designs he was scheming to execute. They further lamented the laxity of the Sheikh in not implementing the Delhi agreement in full including the flying of National Flag on the important Government buildings. This led to the passing of no confidence against him and the rest of the events are part of the history. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed later took over as Prime Minister of the State. The National Flag ultimately started flying atop the Secretariat and the ebullient Sadar-i-Riyasat had all the reasons to convey his jubilation to Pt Nehru on 2nd Dec 1953 ” I am glad that Bakshi accepted my suggestion of flying the Union Flag upon the Jammu Secretariat above the State Flag. This was long overdue and has had a very healthy effect upon public opinion here.”
Though the controversy revolving around the National Flag got sorted out yet this and other related issues left some unpleasant consequences in its aftermath. The tallest leader of the State got removed from the stage and for this he had to blame himself only. After all he made the mistakes of undertaking many misadventures like the one regarding the National flag, immediately after assuming power.
Though his friend Pt Nehru provided him a lot of leverage in running the affairs of the State yet he fell in the trap of dreams of becoming the Sultan of the State. He failed to remove needless pricks in the relationship with the Union Govt such as flying of National Flag from the Secretariat building. He did ultimately relent and returned to power in the 1970s reconciling even to the constitutional dilutions of far reaching consequences. However his obduracy of earlier tenure had given birth to a narrative in the State which remained live for many years in a variety of forms such as separatism, semi independence, autonomy, self rule and the like. This narrative took some people of the State away from the national mainstream and ultimately pushed the State in the cauldron of fire in 1990. He didn’t realize that he had endorsed the accession of State with India with much gusto and now his boat had to float or to sink with India only. The Sheikh should also have not forgotten at that time that Kashmir was rent by war in which India poured her blood and treasure and couldn’t tolerate his idiosyncrasies like the one of not allowing even the National Flag to fly on the Secretariat building.
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