Barak Valley: Dear Mr. Minister, on August 15 you hoist the flag, not unfurl; officers you correct, not salute

India celebrated its 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025 (Friday). Seventy-nine years since our freedom from the clasp of colonial rule. On this day, the tricolour does not merely flutter in the wind; it is said that the tiranga soars on the last breath of every soldier who laid down his life to protect it. The flag symbolises not just freedom, but sacrifice, resilience, and identity of this nation.

And yet, in the Sribhumi district of Assam, during the official Independence Day celebrations organised by the District Administration, this very symbol was disrespected and not by an ordinary citizen, but by a sitting minister.

The task before Krishnendu Paul, Minister of PWRD, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, and Fishery, Government of Assam, was simple: to hoist the national flag. Instead, in a display of ignorance, he unfurled it. To some, this may seem like a minor technicality. But for a country that guards its traditions of flag-hoisting with pride, the error is not trivial — it is symbolic of negligence towards history.

A short history lesson can’t hurt. What is the difference between “hoisting” and “unfurling”, one may ask?

Hoisting: The Flag Code of India specifies that on Independence Day, the national flag is hoisted, meaning it is pulled up from the bottom to the top of the flagpole. The hoisting symbolises the rise of the nation, as it rose first on August 15, 1947.

Unfurling: On Republic Day, the flag is unfurled, meaning it is already at the top of the flagpole in a folded state and is released to fly freely. Since India was already free when it became a Republic on January 26, 1950, the flag is not hoisted on that day. Unfurling signifies the reaffirmation of the Constitution and the nation’s sovereignty.

This distinction is not pedantic. It is deliberate. It carries the weight of history, of freedom fought and won. Every year on August 15, the hoisting re-enacts that very moment of liberation.

So how does a proclaimed nationalist minister forget such a fundamental tradition? And more worryingly, how do senior bureaucrats, the District Commissioner of Sribhumi, an IAS officer, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, an IPS officer — both present at the ceremony, fail to notice or correct the lapse? These are officers who cleared one of the toughest examinations in India, tasked with upholding constitutional values. Their inaction makes the incident even more telling.

Generations of freedom fighters, soldiers, and citizens have honoured the tricolour. They have carried it into battle, shielded it with their bodies, and sung about its glory. To confuse hoisting with unfurling on Independence Day is not just a mistake. It is a disregard for the very history that the flag embodies, and a reminder that symbolism, when neglected by those in power, loses its meaning for the nation.

The tricolour deserves better. So does the Republic it represents.