Indians were urged to buy and proudly display the national flag on Independence Day this week, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he wanted 200-metre flags waving in the wind.
But now the question for those who celebrated is: how do you dispose of all the flags, with respect and honor?
Across streets and rooftops, from mansions to shacks and even remote outposts in the mountains, the flag has been displayed everywhere following celebrations on Monday of the 75th anniversary of Britain’s independence.
“In my life the flag was raised from the village school, never from anyone’s house. This time every house in my village had a flag outside,” Krishna Chandra told Mukteshwar.
The strict rules governing how and where the flag can be flown were deliberately relaxed by the government so that it would be easier for more Indians to show their national pride without getting into trouble.
They responded enthusiastically. While it is not known exactly how many were bought, culture ministry officials said the figure could exceed 200 million.
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The problem now is how to remove them. Indians may be surprised to find that it is not as easy as they might think.
Throwing it in the trash is considered sacrilegious. A Lucknow municipal sweeper who was caught removing garbage that happened to contain discarded photos of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah was fired by his outraged superiors. He was later reinstated.
“When the flag is damaged or soiled, it shall not be set aside or disposed of in a disrespectful manner. It shall be destroyed, as a whole, in private,” says the National Flag Code 2022, a legally binding set of conventions related to the flag. The code stipulates only two ways to dispose of used flags: bury or burn.
If it is the former, the flag must be folded properly, placed in a wooden box and placed on the ground. A minute’s silence must be observed after the box has been covered with soil.
If you want to burn, the place chosen must be clean and tidy. It is not allowed to hold the flag, light a match and set fire to one of its ends. It must first be bent and once the fire is lit, it must be carefully placed in the center of the flames. Consigning it to the flames without folding it first is an offence.
Taxi driver Kailash Kishore has been driving around Bhimtal in northern India with a small flag on the roof of his car since Monday. I didn’t know the disposal rules, but I wasn’t worried because I don’t intend to discard it.
“I won’t get rid of it at all. Once it breaks and doesn’t look good, I’ll put it in my living room. Then maybe in the garden, but I won’t get rid of it,” Kishore said.
In the Indian capital, the municipal corporation has made special plans to collect dirty or damaged flags with “dignity”. Cost-conscious Indians who want to keep the flag for reuse next year can do so, but it must be folded and stored properly.
Disrespecting the Indian national flag is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine or both.