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Monday, July 15, 2019

1947, 21 July: The National Flag is adopted by the Constituent Assembly


INDIAN STANDARD
SPECIFICATION FOR THE NATIONAL FLAG OF INDIA (COTTON KHADI)
National Flag Sectional Committee. TDC 8

Chairman
Mr, Bharat Ram                      Delhi Cloth and General Mills Co. Ltd., Delhi

Members
Mr. M. Krishnamurthi            Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Mr. Dwarka Nath Lele           All- India Spinners’Association, Wardha
Mr. G.E. Longdin                   New Egerton Woolen Mills, Dhariwal
Dr. G.M. Nabar                      Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi
Dr. N.L. Narayan                   Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Dr. A.V. Raman                      Minister of Homes Affairs, New Delhi
Mr. Vichirtra Naraian            Shri Gandhi Ashram, Meerut
Sharma           
Mr. Randhir Singh                 Director, Indian Standards Institution, Delhi

(Ex- Officio)
Dr. Lal C. Verman                  Director, Indian Standards Institution, Delhi

Staff
The Lt. Mr. C.P. Halkatti         Formerly Assistant Director (Textiles), ISI, Delhi
Mr. Maharaj Kishen                Assistant Director (Textiles), ISI, Delhi
Mr. T. Balakrishnan                Technical Assitant, ISI, Delhi

(All Rights Reserved)
INDIAN STANDARDS INSTITUTION
19 UNIVERSITY ROAD, CIVIL LINES
 DELHI 8

 FOREWORD                                                    (Exceprts)
            The honourable Shri Jawaharlal Nehru presented to the constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947, two flags, one of silk and the other of cotton khadi, specially designed and manufactured for adoption as the National Flag of India. He moved the following Resolution: “Resolved that the National Flag of India shall be a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (Kesari), white and dark green in equal proportion. In the centre of the White Band, there shall be a wheel in Navy Blue to represent the Charkha. The design of the Wheel shall be that of the wheel (Chakra) which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Asoka. The diameter of the Wheel shall approximate to the width of the white band. The ratio of the width to the length of the Flag shall ordinarily be 2:3”
The motion was adopted, the whole Assembly standing.
            This Resolution did not purport to furnish full details regarding the quality of the cloth and other particulars required for the manufacture of Flags. Hence the necessity arose for the preparation of self- contained specifications for the National Flag of India.
            The Army Headquarters, who has issued a working drawing for the National Flag for the use of Army, suggested to the Indian Standards Institution to issue a standard for the National Flag on the basis of their requirements
            The Government of India in the mean while expressed a desire that the cloth used for the manufacture of the Flag for use of by Government should be hand-spun and hand-woven khadi. Accordingly it was decided to formulate standards of the National Flag involving the use of hand-spun and hand- woven cotton, woollen and silk fabrics.
            This standard deals only with the National Flag made of cotton khadi. Standards for national Flags made of wool and silk are being dealt with separately.
            The use of this standard  requires reference to the following Indian  Standards:
IS: 9–1949   Method of Test for Determining Shrinkage in Woven Cotton and linen Cloth on Washing    
IS: 237–1951   Method for the Determination of Cotton Yarn (of Yarn Melidity in GK)
IS: 238–1951   Method for the Determination of Twist in Cotton Yarn
IS: 240–1951   method for the Determination of Ends and Picks in Woven Cotton Fabrics
IS: 242–1951  Method for the Determination of Weight per Unit Area or Unit  Length of Cotton   Fabrics
IS: 243–1951  Method for the Determination of Breaking Load (Strength) and Extension of Woven Cotton Fabric (By Constant- Rate-Of- Traverse Method)
Except
IS: 9–1949     which is already published, all these standards are in advanced stage of preparation and are expected to be published soon.
           
            In the preparation of this standard, considerable assistance has been received from the All India Spinner’ Association, government of Rajasthan, the Directorate of Technical Development (Ministry of Defence), Department of Chemical Technology (University of Bombay), and others.



Source:  C. Rajagopalachari Papers VIth –XIIth Inst., MSS. NMML  



Monday, July 8, 2019

1947, 18 July: Indian Independence Act 1947, came into force


1947, 18 July: Indian Independence Act 1947, came into force


~ Indian Independence Act ~
(Indian Reprint)
(10 & 11 GEO. 6CH.30)
Excerpts
Chapter 30
          An Act to make provision for the setting up in India of two independent Dominions, to substitute others provisions for certain provisions of the Government of India Act, 1935, which apply outside those Dominions, and to provide for other matter consequential on or connected with the setting up of those Dominions.
                                                                                                [18th July 1947]
          Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

1.        The new Dominions
2.        Territories of the new Dominions
3.        Bengal and Assam
4.        The Punjab
5.        The Governor –General of the new Dominions
6.        Legislation for the new Dominions
7.        Consequences of the setting up of the new Dominions
8.        Temporary provision as to government of each of the new Dominions
9.        Orders for bringing this Act into force
10.    Secretary of States’s services, etc.
11.    Indian armed forces
12.    British forces in India
13.    Naval Forces
14.    Provisions as to the Secretary of State and the Auditor of Indian Home Accounts
15.    Legal proceedings by and against the Secretary of State
16.    Aden
17.    Divorce Jurisdiction
18.    Provisions as to existing laws, etc.
19.    Interpretation, etc.
20.    Short title

SCHEDULES

First Schedule – Bengal Districts provisionally included in the new Province of East Bengal
Second Schedule– Districts provisionally included in the new Province of West Punjab
Third Schedule– Modifications of Army Act and Air Force Act in relation to British forces
Sources: C. Rajagopalachari Papers Vth Inst., MSS, NMML1

Friday, June 7, 2019

10 June, 1890: Birth Anniversary of Gopinath Bardoloi


Freedom Fighter, Politician and the first Chief Minister of Assam

A NOTE ON Assam’s Stand vis a vis British Government Statement of 6th December, 1946.
                                                                                                                  (Extract)
To,
            The President,
            Indian National Congress,
            New Delhi.                   
            New Delhi, the 9th December, 1946.

Dear Friend,

            On account of the recent statement of the British Cabinet with reference to Sections and Groupings…we the members of the Constituent Assembly from Assam elected according to Congress directions deem it our duty to make the following observations…Assam shall be forced to enter Group ‘C’, that her constitution would be framed by the majority of the members sitting in the section and that there would be no room for revision of the Constitution as framed by the Section…On the 10th June a Deputation from the Congress Committee…stressed on the evils of the Cabinet Mission’s proposal, in almost identical terms….President Maulana Azad and the members of the Working Committee were pleased to assure Sjt. Bardoloi…that the case of Assam would receive proper consideration at the hands of the W.C….he requested the W.C. to give him a draft of a resolution to be moved in the Assam Legislative Assembly determining what attitude the elected members of the Constituent Assembly should adopt regarding the whole question…a resolution drafted by a Member of the W.C. was sent to President Maulana Azad for approval…After going through the draft Maulana Sahib replied to the above letter ... “You should therefore bring a motion in the light of the above decision, the wordings of which may be formulated by the Board mentioned above (Selection Board of Constituent Assembly members).”Accordingly the Board adopted the draft resolution with slight modification and that resolution was adopted in the House without any division….That the representatives elected by the Assam Assembly alone shall frame and settle the Constitution of Assam…the said representative shall not take part in any meeting or meetings of any section or Group of provinces for the purpose of settling the Constitution for the province of Assam….the said representatives shall resist all or any attempt made to set up a Group Constitution for the settlement of questions relating to any subject or subjects in which the Province of Assam is interested or concerned  being dealt withby any such group of Provinces on the basis of majority of votes.” …. On 22nd July, 1946 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who became the President of the Congress… added “That a Section may definitely decide not to form any Group and yet may continue as a Section to consider Provincial Constitution…. In reply to this it was pointed out to him by Sjt. Bardoloi that all that meant in the resolution was that  provinces should be allowed to function as a unit in the Sections and that the Section should not be made to consist of so many members from the provinces. He pointed out that the provincial constitution must be framed by the province in question alone…the Working Committee in their sitting both in July and August had made it clear… provinces would frame their own constitution and shall be free to go to Group Constitution or not as they liked….H.M.G have now given a completely different interpretation from what the Congress Working Committee gave and on the basis of which they held out assurances to the people of Assam.…if H.M.G’s proposals are to be accepted both our constitution as well as Grouping will be determined by the majority of the Constituent Assembly Members…we shall be thrown entirely at the mercy of the Muslim League both for our provincial constitution as well as our Groupings…. The members of the Constituent Assembly from Assam, can have but only one decision…we refuse to go to that Section …. We feel that our position is being rendered still worse by the attitude of the Working Committee in agreeing to accept the decision of the Federal Court in…matters of controversy between the Congress and the Muslim League…. We cannot in these circumstances think there is any scope for the decision of the Federal Court. Moreover, the mandate of the Assam Assembly leaves us no room for acting in any other way than to refuse to go to Section.

We shall be grateful to be informed about the decision of the Working Committee.

                                                                                                          Yours sincerely
                                                                                    
                                                                           Sd/- Gopinath Bordalai and others

     Source: Gopinath Bardoloi Papers, MSS, NMML

3 June, 1930: Birth Anniversary of George Fernandes


Socialist leader and Former Defence Minister of India
‘ANY GROUP, ANY PLACE, ANY TIME’ That is what Union Defence Minister George Fernandes offered to undergrounds for peace talks.                                                   (Extract)

Union Defence Minister George Fernandes express hope that the ongoing ‘ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN (I-M) would be extended for another three months. The present ‘ceasefire agreement’ is ending on April 30. He also called upon all the undergrounds of the region to come forward and hold talks with the Central Government of India for peace and tranquility without condition at any time and place…He however announced that he was ready to extend all possible help to uplift neglected states of the North East, adding he had been associating with the people of North East throughout his past 50 years of political career and was a frequent visitor to the region….On human rights violation by the Security forces, the Union Minister said that he would not allow them to offend the dignity of the people, saying, if there were proper evidence that security forces were involved in Human Rights violation, he would firmly deal with.…Addressing a press conference at Imphal Raj Bhawan, George Fernandes, the Defence Minister raised two important issues. One the Army should not be used in internal disturbances like insurgency. Two, certain aspects of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) need to be repealed….Immediately after becoming the Defence Minister Fernandes, who is well acquainted with the problems plaguing the North East expressed his desire to withdraw troops deployed in the region...Fernandes declared that he was ready to meet and talk to any underground group in the region, at any place and any time to find solutions to their problems….He also made it very clear that the new government would pursue the peace talks with the NSCN (I-M), which were initiated by the previous government. Without peace one could not dream of development, he said….He also assured that the Assam Rifles would be withdrawn from the historic Kangla Fort and the Centre would extend help to the State Government to end ethnic clashes in the State.

Source: George Fernandes Papers, MSS, NMML