In a sheer disrespect to the National Flag, the Tricolour hoisted at Pahari Mandir on the occasion of Republic Day on Thursday was left unfurling half mast throughout the day. Though Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti on Friday denied any such incident, the Tricolour was apparently unfurling at much lower than it’s actual and possible height which earned it a pride of being the tallest national flag in the world. Ironically, Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti has accused people of being master of finding errors whenever the National Flag was hoisted at Pahari Mandir.
Unfurling Tricolour at Pahari Mandir anywhere below its maximum defined height was also contempt of an order of Jharkhand High Court last year, as the Court had asked not to hoist Tricolour there until and unless unfurling it at maximum height without any tear was ensured. However, Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, responsible for such activities there, denied any such charges regarding the incident on Republic Day.
“The wind speed yesterday was not enough to support a flag of over 130 Kg of weight to whirl at its fullest, that is why it looked like whirling at lower height. But we had actually made sure that it was carried up to the maximum available height before flag hoisting ceremony took place on the occasion of Republic Day,” said Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti Spokesperson Mukesh Agarwal.
After more than half a dozen occasions of the flag at Pahari Mandir suffering tears since January 24 last year, the Jharkhand High Court on August 17 had said that any disrespect to the Tricolour would remain unacceptable under any circumstances. The Court had directed Ranchi Deputy Commissioner, also Ex-Officio Chairman of Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, to consider unfurling the flag at Pahari Mandir only on special occasions until a permanent solution of flag not getting tears anymore was reached at.
Contrary to admitting the mistake, which was clearly visible on Thursday, Agrawal went on cursing only common people of finding errors in the pride of the nation. “People must request the High Court to relax norms of hoisting national flag at Pahari Mandir, as Ranchi has completely different climatic and wind situations than other such places where flags at high altitudes are hoisted. The city has become little too much touchy about the flag at Pahari Mandir and keeps on finding error whenever it is unfurled here,” said Agarwal.
DC Manoj Kumar, on the other hand, also denied any incident of flag being hoisted and kept unfurling at lower heights. “It was not at all the case. It has remained a case with Pahari Mandir flag that people start finding errors,” said Kumar. When asked that there were supporting visuals of the day that the flag was unfurling at lower heights, he said that he didn’t come across any of them.
Notably, world's largest Tricolour on tallest flag-post, 493 feet above surface on a 293 feet mast at Pahari Mandir was hoisted for the first time by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on January 23 last year on the occasion of birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Hoisting world’s tallest Tricolour at Pahari Mandir bears historical importance, as the place was used by the British to execute freedom fighters in pre-independent India. The place is also, for similar reasons, is famously remembered by older generations as Fansi Dungri or the hanging point.