The Karnataka government's move to constitute a panel to design the state flag and study its legal sanctity has triggered a row, pitching the national and regional identities against each other. While the 'Kannada flag' with its vibrant red and yellow hues has been a symbol of unity among the Kannadigas since the 1960s, the timing of such a proposal from the Congress government is being perceived with skepticism as the state is due for the assembly polls in early 2018.
While the Kannada enthusiasts and scholars have welcomed the decision to constitute a nine-member committee comprising senior bureaucrats, litterateurs and academicians to give a final shape to the long-pending demand, the BJP has cried foul over the “divisive” agenda of the ruling Congress and dubbed it as a political gimmick.
The union home ministry clarified that there was no provision in the Constitution for a separate flag for any state and the tricolour is the only flag for India. “We are one nation, one flag. Legally, there is no provision either for providing or prohibiting a separate flag for any state,” asserted the ministry, adding that no other state, except Jammu and Kashmir (which is accorded special status under Article 370 of the Constitution), has a state flag in the country. Karnataka has a flag which represents only its people and “not the government”. The state flag is not used during national ceremonies like Independence Day or Republic Day, but only during the foundation day of the state, the ministry added.
A state that is steeped in caste-politics, now seems to be now steering towards identify politics, as the BJP is hoping to cash in on Hindutva politics, while the Congress is invoking the Kannada identity ahead of the 2018 polls.
Chief Minisiter Siddaramaiah said there was nothing unconstitutional about having a state flag. “It is wrong to say it is a poll gimmick as we have no polls this year. Karnataka already has an official state anthem (Bharata Jananiya Tanujaate, written by Kuvempu) and what is wrong in having a state flag,” he said, adding that a state flag would not undermine the national flag nor disturb the unity and integrity of the country.
“The national flag will always fly higher than the state flag,” he assured.
Interestingly, the BJP which is opposing the move, had also mooted a similar proposal to hoist the Kannada flag atop all government buildings on the state formation day in 2012. However, the plan was dropped after a PIL was filed, challenging the decision. A separate flag would undermine the sanctity of the national flag, reasoned the BJP government, while dropping the idea.
Pro-Kannada organisations feel that a state flag is a symbol that can unite all Kannadigas to fight against forces that undermine Kannada language and culture.
A closer look at the history of the state tells you that Karnataka, that emerged during the linguistic reorganisation in 1956, was an amalgamation of Mumbai Karnataka, Hyderabad Karnataka, part of Madras and Old Mysore regions, had witnessed movements to revive Kannada and unite the Kannadigas in the border districts.
The nagging interstate water disputes (Cauvery, Krishna and Mahadayi) and the border disputes with its neighbouring states (Kerala, Maharashtra) have kept the pro-Kannada groups on their toes. The growing cosmopolitan culture, IT boom and the influx of migrant population in the state capital too have become triggers for clashes between locals and 'outsiders'. The recent protests against the Centre's 'imposition of Hindi' at Metro stations is one such example. However, the Siddaramaiah government's recent initiatives of making nada geetha (state anthem) and Kannada compulsory in schools, compelling multiplexes to screen Kananda movies and honouring lawyers who argue cases in Kannada and reservation in state civil services for Kannada medium students have made the Kannada activists happy. Nonetheless, the opposition feels it is all an election gimmick to consolidate the votes by invoking regional identity.
The Centre's fear that such moves breed “separatist” aspirations is not misplaced either. Recently, the Uttar Karnataka Horata Samiti was formed to agitate for separate statehood for the 13 districts of Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka regions, alleging gross neglect of the North Karnataka region. In 2012, Suvarna Soudha—a replica of Vidhana Soudha—was built and a second High Court at Dharward was set up, to send out a strong message that Belgaum is an integral part of Karnataka. However, a coterie of politicians from the Bombay-Karnataka region are known to be in favour of carving a separate state.
The Karnataka flag
For decades, this vibrant red and yellow flag has defined the Kannada pride, fluttering atop homes and office buildings, adorning flag posts in every locality and waving out out of decorated autorickshaws, buses and bikes on Kannada Rajothsava (foundation day) or during the pro-Kannada agitations.
The Kannada flag is a symbol of unity of Kannadigas, and its hues red of the vermilion and yellow of turmeric, signifying auspiciousness.
The current version of the flag was designed by Ma Ramamurthy, a journalist and writer who floated the Karnataka Samyuktha Ranga in 1962 along A.N.Krishna Rao and a few like-minded activists, to fight for Kannada causes.
In 1960s, the growing cosmopolitan culture in Bengaluru posed a challenge to the Kannada language as theatres patronised non-Kannada films, and migrants from neighbouring Tamil Nadu used to hoist the DMK flag outside their homes in Bengaluru. The Kannada activists resented this and used bring down those flags. It was then that Ramamurthy came up with the red-yellow flag.
While, the political party—Kannada Paksha—founded by Ramamurthy to protect the interests of Kannadigas and Karnataka fizzled out, the flag remains as a unifying symbol of Kannadigas.
