CHANDIGARH: Call it the height of nationalism: India’s highest Tricolour of 418 feet will be hoisted at Attari on the Indo-Pak intentional border this month. It will be 18 feet taller than Pakistan’s Parcham- e-Sitara-o-Hilal (flag of the star and crescent). The move is likely to further intensify ‘flag war’ with Pakistan.
The move comes in the wake of Islamabad’s decision to hoist a 500-ft national flag in Lahore on its Independence Day, August 14, with a cost of Rs 40 crore, which is being criticised within the cash-strapped country. Sources said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) awarded a contract to a Kolkata-based company to build the base and erect the flag pole near the spectator’s gallery at Attari for wider visibility after a soil testing.
The project has been carried out in a phased manner. “The flag pole has been erected. The height of the pole is at 418 ft with a 120x80 ft flag dimension. The IIT-Madras has vetted the project after checking the wind speed, the load factor and other technical dimensions,” said an official, adding that the total project is likely to cost around Rs 4 crore.
Sources say that Independence Day August 15 could be the flag’s inaugural day — but it could be some other day as well. “Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari could be present on the day of opening,” said an official.
NHAI Project Director at Amritsar Sunil Yadav said, “At 418 feet, this national flag will be the tallest in the country.” At present, a 360-foot high flag pole was erected by the Amritsar Improvement Trust in 2017 where the Tricolour was hoisted. After that Pakistan went for a taller flag at 400 ft on their side the same year.
Sources said that many spectators who come to Attari to watch the Beating Retreat ceremony demanded increasing the height of the national flag because it appeared smaller than the Pakistani flag from a distance. A spirit of nationalism peaks among the spectators when the national flag is hoisted or lowered at the Attari border.