Explained: Is Indian flag unfurled or hoisted on Independence Day? What's the difference?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day, August 15. Is the national flag hoisted or unfurledon Independence Day? Even though many people think the terms are interchangeable, there is actually a big distinction between the two.

Independence and Constitution

The flag is raised on Independence Day to represent the emergence of a new country, free from colonial rule. While on Republic Day, the nation commemorates the day the Indian Constitution came into force and the nation officially became a republic.

The distinction between the two ceremonies is that India was already an independentnation when it became a republic.

The raising of the national flag represents the emergence of a new nation that is no longer subject to colonial rule. On Republic Day, the flag is unfurled, signifying that India is already a free country and so the flag is already perched atop the flagpole.

Who hoists or unfurls?

There was no president in office on the first Independence Day. Prior to the office's abolition, Lord Mountbatten held the position of Governor General of India, which was comparable to the presidency. Since the coloniser could not be trusted to raise the flag of a newly independent country, the task fell on the prime minister, who was designated as the official representative of the Indian people.

On Independence Day, the prime minister, who serves as the head of the government, "hoists" the flag. As the nation's first citizen and constitutional head of state, the President of India "unfurls" the Tricolouron Republic Day.

Different location

The location of the two events is another distinction. The prime minister addresses the nation after hoisting the Tricolor from Red Fort.

On Republic Day, however, the President raises it on Rajpath, and a significant display of military might and cultural variety immediately follows.

(with inputs from agencies)