WHAT IS THE COLOR OF THE TOP STRIP OF INDIAN FLAG?

Few days ago, I read this question on Yahoo Answers and I sensed some humor in it. Seriously, it is a very thoughtful question and a sitter for those who know even a little bit about the Tricolor of India. The answer is Orange! Well, the logical explanations say it is Saffron, but, for a common man it is orange.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who later became India's first Vice President and second President, clarified the adopted flag and described its significance as “Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The "Ashoka Chakra" in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.”

The Orange is often perceived as the color of the top strip and the process of this perception build-up starts from the childhood. A child making a drawing of the Country flag doesn’t have a Saffron Color in his Crayon Box. So, he ends up coloring it orange. Orange basically signifies creativity, happiness, optimism, enthusiasm, harmony, determination, energy, motivation and friendliness. Whereas, Saffron signifies sacrifice, spirituality, devotion. Former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan described it as a signifier of sacrifice and our leaders must not look for personal gains and should dedicate themselves and their life for the well being of their people. But, it’s unfortunate that the leaders haven’t got it correctly. Today, the Politics is seen as a career and the dedication to work is overpowered by the dedication to mint money and the votes. Most unfortunate thing is their temptation to get into the chair of the minister.

Today, Saffron has lost its significance. Not long ago, when the country lovers paid, as tribute, their lives to the nation's pride and freedom. But, the days have changed. The time has really changed. Google tried to sell itself for $1mn in 1999. As of today, Google’s market cap stands at $167 billion. How fast the world changes..:)