Hyderabad, Aug 13 (Maxim News): The Meher Organisation has demanded national recognition for Surayya Tyabji, who is credited by some historians with contributing to the design and preparation of the Indian national flag used around Independence in 1947.
The organisation raised the issue at a press conference in Hyderabad on August 13.
Historian Dr Pandu Ranga Rao, High Court advocate Barkat Ali Khan and Meher Organisation general secretary Affan Quadri spoke at the event.
They said historical accounts link Surayya Tyabji to the final design of the national flag. They also highlighted accounts stating that the first physical copy of the flag flew on Jawaharlal Nehru’s car on the night of Independence.
However, the question of who designed India’s national flag remains a subject of historical debate. Official records do not simply identify one person as the sole designer. The Constituent Assembly adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947, after Nehru proposed replacing the Congress flag’s spinning wheel with the Ashoka Chakra.
Historical debate over Surayya Tyabji’s role
Surayya Tyabji was an artist from Hyderabad and the wife of Badruddin Tyabji, a senior civil servant and diplomat. Historical accounts state that Badruddin Tyabji worked on the process of finalising the flag design during the period before Independence.
According to accounts cited by the Tyabji family, Badruddin Tyabji formed a committee at Nehru’s request. Surayya Tyabji then prepared a graphic representation of the proposed flag. Her daughter Laila Tyabji has also described her parents’ role in developing the final design.
Historian Trevor Royle also attributed the design process to the Tyabji family. His account states that the flag flown on Nehru’s car on the night of Independence had been specially prepared by Surayya Tyabji.
At the same time, Pingali Venkayya remains widely associated with the development of the earlier tricolour that influenced India’s national flag. The final national flag evolved through several stages before the Constituent Assembly approved the present design.
The organisation said Surayya Tyabji’s contribution deserves formal recognition from the Union government. The speakers urged the Centre to consider granting her a national honour in recognition of her alleged role in the history of the Tricolour.
They further said they would consider approaching the courts if the government did not respond to their demand. The organisation maintained that greater public awareness of the historical contributions of people involved in the making of the national flag was necessary.
The demand comes ahead of Independence Day and has renewed attention on the history of India’s Tricolour. Historical sources continue to differ on the precise roles played by Venkayya, the Tyabjis and others in its evolution.
Note: The claim that Surayya Tyabji was the sole designer of the Indian national flag remains historically contested. Available records support her involvement in the flag’s final design and preparation, but they do not establish her as the sole designer. (Maxim News)
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