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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s...

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied to Sarda on forwarding his complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action. It further stated that action taken in the matter must be conveyed directly to Sarda. “It’s a pleasant surprise indeed that the President has taken serious note of the issue of insults to the National Flag at night-clubs, pubs, lounges, sports bars and other places all over the country. The blatant mishandling of the National Flag also violates the specially laid-down provisions of the Flag Code of India,” said Sarda. He pointed out that the Tricolor is a sacred symbol and not a ‘commercial prop’ for entertainment purposes to be used by artists without disregard for the rules. “There are multiple videos, reels or photos available on social media… It's painful to view how the National Flag is being grossly misused, disrespected and even displayed at late nights or early morning hours, flouting the rules,” Sarda said. The more worrisome aspect is that such transgressions are occurring openly, repeatedly and apparently without any apprehensions for the potential consequences. This indicates serious lapses in the enforcement and supervision, but such unchecked abuse could portend dangerous signals that national symbols can be ‘trivialized and traded for profits’. He urged the President to direct the issue of stringent written guidelines with circular to all such private or commercial outlets on mandatory compliance with the Flag Code of India, conduct special awareness drives, surprise checks on such venues and regular inspections to curb the misuse of the Tricolour. Flag Code of India, 2002 Perturbed over the “perceptible lack of awareness” not only among the masses but also governmental agencies with regard to the laws, practices and conventions for displaying the National Flag as per the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the centre had brought out the detailed 25-page Flag Code of India, 2002. The Flag Code of India has minute guidelines on the display of the Tricolour, the happy occasions when it flies high, or the sad times when it is at half-mast, the privileged dignitaries who are entitled to display it on their vehicles, etc. Certain violations attract hefty fines and/or imprisonment till three years.

Phalke's kin unveil website on his death anniversary

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Phalke

Mumbai: In a unique initiative, the descendants of the Father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke – revered as ‘Dadasaheb Phalke’ – dedicated a first official website in his memory on his 81st death anniversary, on Sunday.


The heirs of the Phalke clan unveiled the website, ‘Dadasaheb Phalke International Awareness Mission’ (www.dpiam.org.in) at a function in Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari on Sunday, an excited grandson Chandrashekhar Pusalkar-Phalke and his wife Mrudula told The Perfect Voice.


Born in Trimbakeshwar (Nashik), Dadasaheb Phalke (April 30, 1870-Feb. 16, 1944) – his original surname of ‘Bhat’ – was educated in Mumbai and Baroda (now, in Gujarat).


A humble, unpretentious and multi-faceted personality, he went down in Indian history as the producer-director of the first feature film, “Raja Harishchandra” (released May 3, 1913), made after great personal sacrifices.


Interestingly his ancestors, the Bhats, were engaged in supplying cut banana leaves to the Peshwas, and the vocation was traditionally known as ‘Phalke’, hence that occupational surname stuck, and later became historical.


As the country, then under colonial rule, remained in awe of the maiden silent film, Dadasaheb Phalke made two more films, “Mohini Bhasmasur” (1913) and “Satyavan Savitri” (1914). He shot into limelight with the first-ever blockbuster hit film of India, “Lanka Dahan” (1917), in which he also introduced the fascinating concept of a ‘double-role character’.


The Pusalkars said that their grandpa unfailingly credited his doting wife, Saraswati Phalke for his success in film-making - that has now mushroomed into a gigantic entertainment industry that ranks among the biggest money-spinners for the national economy.


“He made 75 films, of which only one was a talkie, ‘Gangavataran’ in 1937. Many of his films were very popular, and he was a visionary, a trendsetter in several aspects of film-making which inspired future generations,” said the Pusalkar couple.


Explaining the objectives behind the website, Pusalkar said that in the past so many years, Dadasaheb Phalke’s name has been grossly misused and even exploited for pecuniary gains through fly-by-night operators all over India.


“Such elements brazenly organize functions, mega-events, dole out awards in his name claiming them as ‘genuine’, collect funds, etc. which has occasionally landed the Phalke family into trouble. So, we decided to do something about it, starting with this dedicated website,” Pusalkar said.


Henceforth, the Pusalkars declared that “any and all functions anywhere in India or the world using Dadasaheb Phalke’s name unauthorizedly would attract legal action”, unless they secure the prior written permission from the Phalke Family.


However, the Government of India’s prestigious ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ (under the National Film Awards) instituted in 1969 for the country’s top film personalities will not come under the DPIAM’s purview, they assured.


“My grandfather-in-law was reduced to a mere ‘product’ and all these unscrupulous elements ‘sold’ him in their dubious ‘dukaans’ to reap huge profits. We are hopeful that all this will now stop as even the ordinary masses become aware of such racketeering,” gushed Mrudula.


The website provides many unknown gems from Dadasaheb Phalke’s life and times, how he was inclined to the fine arts from a very tender age.


He acquired a degree from the Sir J. J. School of Arts (founded 1857) in Mumbai, followed by the Advanced Fine Arts Training from Kala Bhavan (founded 1890) in Baroda, before confidently stepping into the mysterious world of entertainment.


Describing him as “an accidental film-maker”, Pusalkar said his granddad was equally proficient in other fields like drawing, painting, photography, model-making, theatre, printing and had mastered the art of magic from the American wizard, Carl Hertz (1859-1924), but it was films that made him an icon.


The family has been appealing to confer India’s top civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ on Dadasaheb Phalke.

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