RSS and the Indian National Flag: History, Ideology and the Continuing Controversy Part I

 

The Indian National Flag is more than a symbol of sovereignty. It represents the ideals of the freedom movement, constitutional democracy, and the unity of an extraordinarily diverse nation. Yet, few aspects of modern Indian history remain as politically contested as the relationship between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Tricolour. While the RSS today publicly honours the National Flag and actively participates in campaigns such as Har Ghar Tiranga, its historical relationship with the Tricolour has been the subject of continuing debate. The controversy stems not from political rhetoric alone but from documented writings, editorials, and historical records dating back to the years surrounding India's independence.

The Birth of the Tricolour

India's National Flag did not emerge overnight. Several versions of a national flag were proposed during the freedom struggle. The design that eventually became the National Flag was based on the flag designed by Pingali Venkayya and was modified by replacing the spinning wheel with the Ashoka Chakra.

On 22 July 1947, the Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Tricolour as the National Flag of independent India. Presenting the resolution, Jawaharlal Nehru described the flag as a symbol that belonged not to any religion, political party or community but to the entire nation. Members of the Assembly, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Sarojini Naidu and others, supported its adoption. The Tricolour thus became a constitutional symbol accepted by representatives from across India's political and ideological spectrum.

The RSS and the Bhagwa Dhwaj

The RSS, founded in 1925 by Dr. K. B. Hedgewar, had long regarded the Bhagwa Dhwaj (Saffron Flag) as its organisational and cultural emblem. According to RSS ideology, the saffron flag represented sacrifice, renunciation, courage and India's ancient civilisational heritage. Even today, the Bhagwa Dhwaj occupies a central place in RSS functions.

The organisation's reverence for the saffron flag, however, became controversial when India adopted the Tricolour as its National Flag. Critics argued that the RSS's attachment to the Bhagwa Dhwaj reflected an unwillingness to fully embrace the Tricolour as the symbol of the newly independent Republic. RSS supporters, on the other hand, maintain that the Bhagwa Dhwaj was never intended to replace the National Flag but was merely the organisation's cultural emblem.

The Organiser Editorial of 14 August 1947

One of the principal sources of controversy is the RSS-linked weekly Organiser. In its edition dated 14 August 1947, published a day before Independence, the newspaper criticised the adoption of the Tricolour. The editorial argued that the three-coloured flag lacked the historical and cultural significance of the saffron flag and suggested that it would not command the same emotional respect among Hindus.

This editorial has frequently been cited by historians and political commentators as evidence that sections of the RSS were uncomfortable with the National Flag adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The editorial remains one of the most important documentary sources in this debate because it reflects a contemporary viewpoint expressed at the very moment India attained independence.

Golwalkar's Critique

The controversy was further reinforced by the writings of Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the second Sarsanghchalak of the RSS and one of its principal ideologues.

In Bunch of Thoughts, Golwalkar questioned why independent India had adopted a new National Flag instead of what he regarded as the traditional saffron banner. He described the adoption of the new flag as an act of "drifting and imitating," suggesting that India's leaders had abandoned an indigenous civilisational symbol in favour of a modern political creation.

Although RSS supporters argue that Golwalkar was expressing a cultural preference rather than rejecting the National Flag itself, critics contend that his remarks reveal an ideological discomfort with the Tricolour that cannot be ignored.

Golwalkar's writings continue to occupy a central place in discussions about the RSS because they shaped the organisation's intellectual outlook for decades after Independence.

Did the RSS Reject the Tricolour?

This question requires careful historical analysis. It would be inaccurate to claim that the RSS legally rejected the National Flag or declared it invalid. Equally, it would be misleading to ignore the documented criticism contained in Organiser and Golwalkar's writings.

Historical evidence shows that the RSS's relationship with the Tricolour was, at the very least, uneasy during the years immediately following Independence. Whether this amounted to outright rejection or ideological preference for another symbol remains a matter of interpretation. However, the documentary record leaves little doubt that the organisation did not initially embrace the Tricolour with the enthusiasm shown by most participants in the freedom movement.

This distinction is important because history should be judged by contemporaneous evidence rather than later political explanations. The debate is therefore not merely about who hoisted a flag or when; it is about the ideological meaning attached to national symbols during one of the most significant moments in India's history.

Part II will examine the claim that Jawaharlal Nehru prevented the RSS from hoisting the National Flag, the legal position before and after the Flag Code of 2002, the Supreme Court's decision in the Naveen Jindal case, the RSS's later position, and conclude with detailed footnotes and references.

About the Author

Adv. Siddhartha Shankar Mishra is an Advocate, Supreme Court of India, columnist and freelance writer.