Faridabad gets world’s tallest Tricolour

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 3

The city made history today with the city hoisting the world's tallest Indian national flag at HUDA Town Park. At 250 feet, the Tricolour fluttered in the cool breeze while national heroes, politicians and Bollywood stars reveled in patriotic fervor.

BJP national president Amit Shah and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar took turns to press the button that energised a motor to raise the flag to its height and unfurl.

As the flag — measuring 96x64 feet and weighing 48 kg —  went up marking the National Defence Day, thousands of residents, war veterans, ex-servicemen, politicians stood up in jubilation. Film stars too joined in to pay respects with Bollywood composer Sachin Jigar playing patriotic tunes.

But even as the spirit of patriotism was all pervasive, politics was not missing. The cold vibes between Shah and Khattar were apparent. At the same time, Shah’s warmth towards local MLA Vipul Goel did not go unnoticed.

Expressing his happiness over the hoisting of the tallest national flag, Shah said: “This is a proud moment for all of us and the people of the state. Haryana, the land of Mahabharata, is the most suitable place for hoisting the tallest national flag since it was the ‘yudh bhumi’ and ‘vir bhumi’ of the nation.

Speaking on the occasion of the National Defence Day, the BJP president said the nation should take a pledge to express gratitude to those who have sacrificed their lives for the nation. An initiative of Faridabad Navchetna Trust led by its chairman and local MLA Vipul Goel, the event was witnessed, besides Shah and Khattar, by ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Krishan Pal Gurjar, Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, state BJP in charge Dr Anil Jain, Mahavir Chakra awardee and Indo-Pak war veteran Brigadier  Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri and actor
Ranbir Kapoor.