Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday paid tributes to Pingali Venkayya on his birth anniversary, remembering the freedom fighter for designing the original version of India's National Flag and his contributions to the country's independence movement.
In a post on X, Shah said Pingali Venkayya made an immortal contribution by designing the Tiranga, which today flies high as a symbol of India's pride and aspirations. He added that Venkayya's role in the freedom struggle, along with his work across diverse fields of knowledge, would continue to inspire generations of Indians.
Born on August 2, 1876, in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Pingali Venkayya was a freedom fighter, educationist, agriculturist, geologist, author and polyglot.
At the age of 19, Pingali Venkayya joined the British Indian Army and served in South Africa during the Second Boer War, where he first recognised the need for a national flag for India.
Inspired by the freedom movement, Venkayya developed several flag designs before presenting one to Mahatma Gandhi during the All India Congress Committee session in Vijayawada in 1921.
Mahatma Gandhi suggested adding a white stripe to Venkayya's original red-and-green design to represent all communities.
The design later evolved into the Tiranga, which the Constituent Assembly formally adopted as India's National Flag on July 22, 1947.
Despite his immense contribution, Venkayya spent his later years in relative obscurity and died in 1963.
The government honoured his legacy with a commemorative postage stamp in 2009, and his contribution to India's national identity continues to be remembered every year on his birth anniversary.