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Indian Armed Forces Flag Day is commemorated to honour the soldiers and the bravehearts, who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Contributing to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund is considered the moral responsibility of every citizen. (Image: Shutterstock)
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2024: December 7 is celebrated as Armed Forces Flag Day or Flag Day in India. The day is commemorated to honour the soldiers and the bravehearts, who lost their lives in the line of duty. Since December 7, 1949, this day has been observed to pay respect to the military forces. The Armed Forces Flag Day is also dedicated to raising funds from Indian citizens for the welfare of Indian Armed Forces troops.
The Armed Forces Flag Day celebration, also known as India’s Flag Day celebration, reinforces the cultural connection between the Indians and the Armed Forces personnel.
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2024: History
The decision to commemorate an Armed Forces Flag Day dates back to August 28, 1949, by a committee appointed under the then Defence Minister of India.
This was done to pay tribute to the valiant and martyred soldiers, sailors, and airmen and to revamp the harmony of citizens. Moreover, the annual celebration is aimed at providing resettlement and rehabilitation to the war victims and well-being to the ex-servicemen personnel.
Later, in 1993, the Defence Ministry of India merged all related welfare funds, such as the Kendriya Sainik Board Fund and the funds for war victims, into a single fund, the AFFDF.
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2024: Significance
The main objective of the Armed Forces Flag Day is to gather donations from people for the betterment of the Armed Forces staff by distributing token flags, batches, and stickers.
The day not only highlights the sacrifice of soldiers who were and are serving in the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and other armed forces but also creates a tangible impact by ensuring the welfare of the soldiers as well as their families.
On this day, contributing to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) is considered the moral responsibility of every citizen. These funds are utilised to furnish financial assistance to war widows, needy veterans, their dependents, and the organisations involved in their rehabilitation.
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2024: Quotes
- “The soldier’s heart, the soldier’s spirit, the soldier’s soul, are everything.”-General George C. Marshall
- “We fight to win and win with a knockout because there are no runners-up in war”. -General JJ Singh
- “The occasion of Indian Armed Forces Flag Day reminds us all that we must thank the Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives and comforts for us.”
- “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.”- George S. Patton
- “Only Best of the Friends and Worst of the Enemies Visit Us.”- Indian Army
- “War is not just the shower of bullets and bombs from both sides, it is also the shower of blood and bones on both sides.”-Amit Kalantri
- “We are safe, happy, and smiling because we have our armed forces taking charge of their duties.”
- “Either I will come back after hoisting the Tricolour (Indian flag), or I will come back wrapped in it, but I will be back for sure.”- Captain Vikram Batra
- “An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep.” -Alexander the Great
- “The union of hearts, the union of hands, and the flag of our Union forever.”
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2024: Celebrations, And How To Contribute
The Armed Forces Flag Day is administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board and is open for contributions throughout the year.
The Indian Military staff arranges various traditional and cultural programs, festivals, dramas, and other entertainment activities for the general public of the nation about their safety.
On this occasion, the Indian Military personnel participates in dispensing the Indian tricolour flags or vehicle flags (red, dark blue, and light blue which denotes the three divisions of the Indian Army) across the nation.
Those interested in contributing can either pay online through the Kendriya Sainik Board’s official website or via a payee cheque to the specific accounts in Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, or ICICI Bank.
You can also find all the information about the bank accounts required to make the donation and the online payment link on the official Kendriya Sainik Board website, https://www.ksb.gov.in/DonateAFFDF.htm.
The fund is controlled by the managing committee and monitored by both official and non-official voluntary organisations.
For those unaware, the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) is an apex body of the Indian government. It formulates and manages various welfare and rehabilitation programs for ex-servicepersons and their families via a network of Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs) and Zila Sainik Boards (ZSBs) spread throughout the country.