Flag of India Quotations

Quotes on the Flag of India.
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"The weakest numerically occupy the first place, the Islamic colour (green) comes next, the Hindu colour (red) comes last, the idea being that the strongest should act as a shield to the weakest."

On significance:

"to represent the equality of the least of us with the best, an equal part is assigned to all the three colours in the design.

On the Charkha:

"But India as a nation can live and die only for the spinning wheel .... No industrial development schemes can solve the problem of the growing poverty of the peasantry of India.... India is not a small island, it is a big continent which cannot be converted like England into an industrial country. And we must resolutely set our face against any scheme of exploitation of the world. Our only hope must centre upon utilising the wasted hours of the nation, for adding to the wealth of the country, by converting cotton into cloth in our cottages.... It follows that the flag must be made of Khaddar, for it is through coarse cloth alone that we can make India independent of foreign markets for the cloth."
"The charka symbolizes energy," he wrote, "and reminds us that during the past eras of prosperity in India's history, hand spinning and other domestic crafts were prominent."

"It will be necessary for us Indians -- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all others to whom India is their home -- to recognise a common flag to live and die for."

- Mahatma Gandhi
"Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change."
- Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, India's first Vice President

" This flag is of Indian Independence. Behold, it is born. It is already sanctioned by the blood of martyred Indian youths. I call upon you gentlemen, to rise and salute this flag of Indian Independence. In the name of this flag, I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to cooperate with this flag in freeing one-fifth of the human race. "
- Madam Cama, Indian freedom fighter, Stuttgart, Berlin, 1907

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