VIJAYAWADA: The 146th birth anniversary of Pingali Venkayya, designer of the Indian national flag, was celebrated with patriotic fervour across the State as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy paid floral tributes to the statue of the freedom fighter at his camp office in Tadepalli on Tuesday and hoisted the national flag.
Jagan also inaugurated a photo exhibition on the life and times of Pingali and unveiled a portrait of the freedom fighter done by Director of Culture Department Regulla Mallikharjuna Rao. Minister for Energy Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and others were present on the occasion.
Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan was the chief guest at a symposium on ‘Tiranga the unifier – Literary portrayal of the national flag in Indian Languages’ organised by the Sahitya Akademi at PB Siddhartha College in Vijayawada on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Pingali was a great freedom fighter and the national flag designed by him was a gift for the country that became synonymous with the spirit of free and independent India.
He recalled the events in March 1921 when Pingali presented the initial design of the Swaraj flag to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian National Congress session held in Vijayawada. Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by encouraging people to hoist the tricolour at their homes from August 13 to 15 marking 75th year of India’s independence, was a befitting tribute to Pingali, the Governor said.
“The national flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people and it is the symbol of our national pride,” the Governor said. The freedom fighters from different parts of the country are now being honoured and the objective is that the entire nation must feel proud of the country’s glorious past and how Independence was achieved under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, he added.
He also mentioned the play ‘Mahasangramar Mahanayak’, written by him about the Paika rebellion against the British in Odisha under the leadership of Buxi Jagabandhu in 1817 for eight years, which was staged recently in Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada. Harichandan said Pingali will always be remembered for his immense contribution to the country and people should be united and feel proud of the country and the national flag.
He appealed to the people of Andhra Pradesh to hoist the Tricolour at every house in the State from August 13 to 15 as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme. Former deputy speaker of Assembly Mandali Buddha Prasad, eminent freedom fighter R Narasayamma, eminent Telugu writer K Siva Reddy and others were present on the occasion.TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other political leaders also paid floral tributes to Pingali’s portraits in their respective party offices.
PM Modi pays homage to Pingali
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Pingali Venkayya on the 146th birth anniversary of the designer of the national flag. “I pay homage to the great Pingali Venkayya on his birth anniversary. Our nation will forever be indebted to him for his efforts of giving us the Tricolour, which we are very proud of. Taking strength and inspiration from the Tricolour, may we keep working for national progress,” the Prime Minister tweeted