The State has constituted a nine-member committee headed by Principal Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, to study and submit a report to the government on the possibility of “designing a separate flag for Karnataka and providing it a statutory standing.”
Members of the committee include Secretaries to the Departments of Personnel and Administrative Services, Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, chairman of Kannada Development Authority, vice-chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, and Director of Department of Kannada and Culture.
The committee was constituted following representation from journalist-writer and president of Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, Dharward, Patil Puttappa, and social worker Bheemappa Gundappa Gadada to the government. They urged the government to design a separate flag for Kannada ‘naadu’ and accord statutory standing for that.
When asked about the Constitutional and legal position of the State having its own flag, former Advocate-General of Karnataka Ravivarma Kumar cited S.R. Bommai v/s Union of India (Supreme Court 1994) case. “In Bommai’s case, the Supreme Court has declared that federalism is a basic feature of the Constitution and States are supreme in their sphere. This being the Constitutional position, there is no prohibition in the Constitution for the State to have its own flag. However, the manner in which the State flag is hoisted should not dishonour the national flag. It has to be always below the national flag. The national flag code specifically authorises use of other flags subject to the regulation by the court. So State flag is not unauthorised,” he said.
Published - July 10, 2017 10:46 pm IST