During their various occasions and to coincide with visits of national leaders, the respective political parties put up their party flags and huge cut-outs all over the cities and the villages.
In fact public places are brazenly defaced with party flags, posters and banners without even securing the necessary permission from the concerned local authorities and with no payments made towards the requisite municipal and panchayat fees in rank violation of law. The onus is on the local authorities to act firmly and deterrently against the political parties breaching the rules and law. The political parties also fail to promptly remove the flags and dispose them aptly after their functions. As a result, we find the party flags and other material inordinately strewn along the roads and pavements with the public at times walking or falling over them and sometimes even the party flags ending up very coarsely in the garbage bins. Worse still is when we see the flags choking our drains. A sheer offensive insult to the flag and disrespect to our environment and garbage disposal policy. Every political party needs to treat its flag with utmost esteem and sanctity which is unfortunately not seen today. It is incumbent on every political party to ensure that its members and supporters show all due and solemn respect at least to its party flag which should never ever be treated like thrash or a political tool but as a symbol that is an expression and manifestation of a peoples’ feelings and sentiments to a particular cause or to the nation. But today as our politicians so very frequently hop from party to party looking for personal greener pastures, as they have no respect for those that elect them, nor allegiance to the party that they use to get elected and so what respect to the Party flag can be expected. The authorities should also ensure that on our solemn occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day, our national flag is duly respected and hoisted at important sites and lowered with dignity. The little flags used by the public must not end up lying on the streets or in our bins and drains after the official function is over. This respect and dignity for the national flag is the least that is expected from us all. These fundamental values have to be inculcated in every child, as young as they are. For many a flag is not just a piece of cloth or paper. It represents honour, respect and sacrifice. For others it represents blood, sweat and tears. For everyone it should always represent inspiration, dreams and hopes. That is why it must be treated with respect and dignity. In a way, I am very fortunate. Having never joined and having no intent either to ever join any political party, my allegiance, loyalty and respect is and will always be to the one and only flag, our nation’s Tricolour. Jai Hind. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com