About us
Flag Foundation Of India was set up as a registered society under the societies registration act of 1980, a non-profit body in January 2002, after Mr. Naveen Jindal won a seven-year long court battle that enabled all Indians to display our National Flag with honour and pride at their homes, offices and factories on all days of the year.

The Tricolour is a common factor of inspiration for every Indian it is indeed a true expression of pride for our mother land. To take this victory beyond pure symbolism and translate it into action, Flag Foundation Of India is undertaking various projects motivating the people of our country to draw inspiration from the National Flag and work for the betterment of the nation.

At this time when 54 percent of Indians are below 25 years of age and we are now among the youngest nations on the globe the Flag Foundation takes pride in launching a mass movement of the youth, for the nation -YUVA HINDUSTANI. This revolutionary movement will bring together the vibrant youth that aims to be the instrument of change in our country to make India and its people proud, happy and prosperous.

On 23rd January, 2004, after a long and hard legal battle fought by Mr. Naveen Jindal (Industrialist, sportsman & Member of Parliament), the Supreme Court of India ruled that the display of the national flag by every citizen on all days of the year, a fundamental right. Thereafter, he founded the Flag Foundation Of India, a non-governmental organization.

To have a meaningful and comprehensive understanding of our National Flag it is essential to understand the nature of the struggle for independence of India. As the movement progressed from the initial stages of prayer and petitions for dominion status to a mass movement for complete independence, our great leaders formulated and adopted certain principles and ideals. These principles and ideals not only gave an ideological content and direction to the movement but also provided the vision of the form that the independent Indian state would take.

Undoubtedly, Gandhi ji's philosophy of non-violence greatly influenced the character and method of the movement. But it is very important that we pay attention to the modem western principles of democracy, equality, justice and the civil libertarian and secular ideals that our leaders embraced. So, given the ethos of our independence movement, it was only natural that after attaining independence, India would follow the path to becoming a democratic and secular modem republican nation.

Therefore, the Tricolour embodies and represents these modem ideals of democracy, justice, liberty and secularism, which keep our diverse cultures, regions, religious and linguistic groups (within such a vast geographical area) together as one nation-India. Simply put, when we say that we work to safeguard and strengthen the ideals of our flag, we actually strengthen our unity, even while celebrating our pluralism.

Vision
Our primary vision is to popularize the display of the Tiranga by more and more Indians, with a great sense of pride. When we display the flag we rise above narrow considerations of religion, caste, language, region, etc. and it reminds us of being, first and foremost, an Indian. At the same time, it represents every Indian religion, language, culture and region. It celebrates our rich diversity. It is, thus, the greatest symbol of our 'unity in diversity'.

The Tricolour became a powerful symbol of our struggle for independence and served as a great source of inspiration for countless Indians, who made extreme sacrifices for the cause of Mother India's freedom.

Mission
The current age has seen an increasing trend of nationalism and patriotism becoming mere slogans. We are slowly loosing the sense of pride and love that we had for our country. The Flag Foundation Of India is an attempt to rekindle that spirit of nationalism. By choosing the path of striving to uphold the dignity of the Tiranga, this project aims at regenerating that sense of pride and removing those layers of hesitation which keep us from living a life of a true nationalist.

Today's education system is such that we are given all education excluding the education that generates morality, patriotism and nationalism. We are slowly forgetting the importance of the nation in our lives. We tend to take Patriotism as a trademark of the armed forces.

Since independence our brave soldiers have been laying down their lives with pride, so that, the Tricolour may fly high with dignity. Remember the time when India wins a cricket match and you wave the Indian Flag with grace and passion.

The Flag Foundation Of India is an initiative to trigger our senses. It is an attempt to strive for the up-lifting of the true sense of nationalism. The Tiranga embodies our modem democratic, secular and liberal values, which should be embraced by all Indians in their endeavor to build a strong and progressive India, which would take its rightful place in the world. To take the message of our Tiranga to every Indian, we intend to make use of all available and appropriate mediums, such as -ART AND CULTURE (Printing and photography exhibitions, Cultural programs and festivals, Performing Arts etc.), SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS and COLLABORATION with other civil society and advocacy groups, professionals, corporate houses, educationists and other like-minded individuals with a special focus on children and the youth of India.

The FFI has 3 major goals:

Fla Foundation of India -Youth Partnership Program
The Flag Foundation Of India's Youth Partnership is FFI's overarching cause- related platform that reinforces our commitment to Positive Youth Development in the communities we serve. The mission of the FFI Youth Partnership is to empower and inspire young people to realize their potential and their dreams. We do this by providing access to programs in the areas of Achievement, the Arts and Athletics -all designed to give young people the opportunity to shine.

One of the ways we contribute is through our philanthropy, with a sharp focus on education. Education offers the promise of a better life. The Flag Foundation, headquartered in Delhi, is a partner in that promise, helping to open the door to opportunity through education. Our programs will support scholarships for aspiring students. Its goal is to empower people to create better lives for themselves, their families and their neighborhoods.

The projects supported by the foundation are many and varied, reflecting the needs and challenges of the areas they serve, but largely assist in the areas of education, environment and community development.

Of particular priority to us are children and youth, because they represent the hope, optimism and potential of our country.

Encouragement to Youth in Sports
Youth and sports are critical in ensuring the development of the next generations of Indians to make their full contribution to social, economic and cultural development.

The primary role of FFI will be to set out principles and help create a conductive, environment for youth and sports development. Within this context an important objective of the program will be to develop new institutional and partnership arrangements with MNCs, NGOs and the private sector to stimulate youth and , sports development initiatives.

Scope and Coverage -sports Development. Activities will include, a preparation of detailed sports policy, strategy and programs including partnerships for funding international, regional and national sports competitions and a review of the institutional arrangements for sports planning, management and promotion, b) further implementation of training programs for specialist physical education staff and coaches/referees and c) identification of priorities and opportunities for new and upgraded sports playing fields and facilities, especially in under-served rural areas.

Program monitoring will include cooperation with relevant youth and sports institutions, and will use parental, youth and community group surveys and follow up analysis on social development impact on young people. A key priority will be to develop a monitoring framework including targets, systems and responsibilities.

Setting a target for Zero Hunger Program -
The goal of the Zero Hunger program is to fight the structural causes of poverty and hunger. Ensuring a reliable supply of adequate nutrition is essential for social and economic development. Hunger robs far too many Indians of a full life, infringing the most fundamental of human rights, the right to adequate food. Hunger thwarts children's learning abilities, reduces the productivity of working adults, makes people susceptible to illness and provokes early death, perpetuating poverty and detracting from economic growth. Hunger passes from one generation to another, as undernourished mothers beget underweight children. And hunger provokes desperation, providing a fertile breeding ground for crime, insurrection and terror. Hunger and poverty are, of course, distinct but related, to a certain extent.

Flag Foundation Of India is at an important crossroads: we have established a core group of supporters around the country, but we know that much more is possible by the active support from people who are responsible citizens who are willing to engage with issues that are of concern to all of us.

You can contribute in any of the following ways:

• As an Individual: Your efforts in an individual capacity are extremely valuable to us. We are always on the lookout for young and dynamic volunteers for our programs. At the same time you can sponsor a child by donating an amount towards the day care costs incurred by Mobile Creches
• As a member of an Organization: You can refer Flag Foundation Of India to some of your valued clients and colleagues. You can help institute a Corporate Social Responsibility program in your organization. You could also initiate collection /volunteering drives in your organization that may culminate in a long term partnership (through the employees) with the organization itself.
• As an Organization: As an organization, you can sponsor some of our events, introduce an "Employee Contribution Scheme" and/or Volunteer Clubs.
  

History
Naveen's passion for the National flag, the Tiranga, began during his student days at the University of Texas at Dallas, USA, where as President of the Student's Senate, he used to proudly display the Indian National Flag.

After coming back to India in 1992, Naveen continued to display his pride and honour in being a citizen of India by flying the Indian National Flag in a respectful manner at his factory premises in Raigarh in Chhattisgarh (erstwhile Madhya Pradesh). The then Commissioner of Bilaspur objected to it on the ground that as per the Flag Code of India, a private citizen was not permitted to fly the Indian flag except on certain days.

Naveen sought legal advice from eminent lawyers including Mr Shanti Bhushan. The advice he received was that there existed two clear laws on the subject. Firstly, the flag could not be insulted or disrespected and secondly, it could not be used for commercial purposes. But there is no law which can prohibits ' respectful flying of the National Flag by the citizens.

Naveen filed a Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India before the Delhi High Court, against the action of the Government officials preventing him from flying the National Flag. The petition was filed on the grounds that there was no law prohibiting the flying of the National Flag by private individuals, the restrain being put only by the Flag Code. This Flag Code contained executive instructions of the Government of India and was not issued under any law. The prohibition imposed by virtue of the Flag Code is an infringement of the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution that gives all citizens, the right to freedom of speech and expression.

The view of Union of India to this was that the Central Government is authorized to impose restrictions on the use of National Flag at any public place or building and can regulate the same by the authority vested in it under Section 3 of the Emblem and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950. The Union of India also viewed that the restriction imposed by the Act and orders issued by the Government are constitutionally valid being reasonable restrictions on the Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

The Division Bench of the Delhi High Court on 22nd September, 1995 allowed the writ petition filed by Naveen Jindal holding that "Any restriction contained in the Flag Code -India relating to the flying of national flag by the citizens cannot be enforced except when contravention of those restriction come within the purview of any law in force." A mandamus was issued to the Respondents (Union of India & others) restraining them from interfering with the right of the Petitioner to fly the national flag on his premises."

The Union of India sometime in January, 1996 filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court challenging the judgment dated 22nd September, 1995 passed by the Delhi High Court. On 7th February, 1996 the Honble

Supreme Court was pleased to grant leave and stay the operation of the impugned judgment. The flag continued to fly as Naveen's lawyer said "it would not be contempt of court since the judgment had only been stayed".

The matter then came up for hearing before the Hon'ble Mr. Justice V.N. Khare and the Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.N. Variava of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. The Hon'ble judges observed that prima facie they see no reason why the citizens cannot express patriotism by displaying the national flag. They also observed that restrictions on flying of national flag only on certain days by private citizens seemed unsustainable.

Subsequently an Inter-Ministerial Committee was constituted by the Union of India on 18th October, 2000, headed by Mr. P.o. Shenoy, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs. The committee was to consider whether the citizens should be allowed to freely fly the national flag as an expression of their feelings of patriotism.

Several meetings were held by the Committee where view-points were presented by Naveen also. Dr. P. D. Shenoy submitted the Committee's report to the Government on 12.04.2001.

From November, 2000 to May, 2001 the Government repeatedly sought adjournments before the Supreme Court. Taking a strong view of such delaying tactics, the Hon'ble Supreme Court on 2nd May, 2001 permitted Naveen Jindal to fly the National Flag with respect, dignity and honour.

Union Cabinet accepted Dr. P. D. Shenoy committee report on 15.01.2002 and announced that citizens will be free to fly the National Flag respectfully on all days from 26.01.2002. The Government subsequently issued a new flag code (Flag Code of India 2002) which contained guidelines for flying the National Flag.

The Hon'ble Supreme Court on 23rd January, 2004 dismissed the Civil Appeal No.2920 of 1996 arising out of SLP No. 1888 of 1996 filed by Union of India against the judgment and order dated 22nd September, 1995 of Delhi High Court and held that:

1. Right to fly the National Flag freely with respect and dignity is a fundamental right of a citizen within the meaning of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India being an expression and manifestation of his allegiance and feelings and sentiments of pride for the nation;
2. The fundamental right to fly National Flag is not an absolute right but a qualified one being subject to reasonable restrictions under clause 2 of Article 19 of the Constitution of India;
3. The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the- Prevention of Insults to national honour Act, 1971 regulate the use of the

National Flag
Flag Code although is not a law within the meaning of Article 13(3)(a) of the Constitution of India for the purpose of clause (2) of Article 19 thereof, it would not restrictively regulate the free exercise of the right of flying the national flag. However, the Flag Code to the extent it provides for preserving respect and dignity of the National Flag, the same deserves to be followed.

Thus, the decade old legal battle was over and the Indian flag was finally free. The citizens got the freedom to express their nationalist emotions by displaying the Indian tricolor. This was victory of all Indians and independent India. Every Indian can now fly the flag with due respect as a result of Naveen Jindal's persistent and untiring efforts. Liberty has at last been bestowed on "We the People".