Nestled amidst the majestic Himalayan peaks, Jammu & Kashmir is the most beautiful state in India. Words cannot contain the beauty and serenity of this place. It is sometimes referred to as heaven on the earth.
But, did you know that Jammu & Kashmir is the only Indian state to have an official state flag? It also has a separate constitution. Interesting, right? So, what are the aspects that make this state so different? Let’s find out.
This state has a special status under the Indian constitution. The flag that you can see in the image above is the official flag of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The flag has a deep red field that represents labor while the plow represents agriculture. There are three stripes present on the hoist side. These stripes represent the three geographic regions of the state: Jammu, Kashmir valley, and Ladakh.
In the year 1952, a resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. This resolution led to the creation of the official flag of the State. It has been given the permission to fly its own state flag along with the national flag ‘Tiranga’. It also has a separate constitution which comes under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
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Origin of the Flag:
There was a huge public outcry that took place on 13 July 1931 in the capital of J& K. The event was a demonstration against the Dogra rulers when the police opened fire that killed 21 people. Later, a victim’s blood-tainted shirt was hoisted by the crowd as the new flag of Kashmir. Since then, 13 of July is celebrated in the state as the Martyr Day.
Later, a political party adopted this flag on 11 July 1939 during the J & K national Conference. Finally, on 7th June 1952, a resolution was passed by the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir that made it official flag of the state.
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government made it compulsory to hoist the state flag along with the national flag, He stated: “The state flag has the same sanctity and position as the Union flag has under the Indian Constitution and other statutory provisions.” But, within 20 hours, the state government withdrew this circular. The govt. took this decision after the newly elected BJP member in the state refused to hoist the state flag in their office.
However, In December 2015, the J& K High Court ordered the government of the state to hoist the state flag along with national flag on official buildings and vehicles of constitutional authorities. Since then, J&K have their very own official state flag!
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