Puri: Odisha governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal hoisted a mammoth 36 ft x 24 ft tri- color Indian national flag on a 108 ft high monumental flag pole installed by Flag Foundation of India (FFoI) at Batagaon Chhak, Puri town. FFoI’s President Naveen Jindal, Vice President Shallu Jindal, Odisha minister for school and mass education Samir Ranjan Dash, minister For E&IT and sports and youth services Tushar Kanti Behera, MLA Jayant Kumar Sarangi and senior official of the district were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal profusely praised Flag Foundation of India and its president Naveen Jindal for installing monumental flag across the country for arousing the spirit of patriotism among Indians. Installing the National Flag at Puri, the land of Lord Jagannath, is synonymous to the universal brotherhood and peace that the Tiranga stands for, he added.
FFoI’s President Naveen Jindal said, “Tiranga is a pride of all Indians. It is above political, social or religious affiliation. Flag Foundation of India is constantly making its effort to inspire all Indians, especially the youths to take pride in displaying the National Flag. I hope this monumental flag will add colours to the beautiful skyline of Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath. Every day, thousands of devotees and tourists visit Puri and this monumental flag will be another place of attraction of them”.
Jindal paid his tributes to the Martyrs Sri Jayee Rajguru, Chakhi Khuntia and Freedom Fighers Panchasakha and others from Puri and spoke about his decade long struggle to give the rights of flying the national flag with dignity to each citizen of the country.
The monumental flagpole has been installed in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India and Puri district administration. district police team equipped with a police band conducted the raising of the monumental national flag of 36 x 24 ft to the peak of the pole of 108 ft.
Naveen Jindal won the legal right for all citizens to display the national flag throughout the year after a decade-long legal battle in 2004. FFoI under the leadership of Naveen Jindal and Shallu Jindal introduced the concept of Monumental Flags in India in 2009. Since then FFoI has installed more than 100 monumental flags, across the country. In Odisha FFoI has already installed three monumental flags, one each at Angul, Bhubaneswar and Bonai.
