My National Flag

As we have just now celebrated our 61^st year of Independence, my house is filled with plastic tricolor everywhere. Both my daughters are quite patriotic in this regard. Whenever they hear the anthem they stand straight and will go on to preach that a national flag should not fall to the ground. We should not disrespect them. When India recently won the cricket match under the leadership of Dhoni, the players took out our National Flag and put it around them and ran on the ground. They even rolled over the ground. There was jubilation and celebration all around except on my daughters’ faces. They were quite cross. The elder one started to that a National flag is being disrespected, what are the authorities doing? How can people allow that? Now, the younger one also joined with equal or should I say more gusto. Both of them went on ranting that they did not allow us to see the presentation ceremony properly. I was too proud as a mother that my daughters were very patriotic.

Oops, I digress. Now coming to the point of this post. Now what to do with these plastic tricolors. If I throw into the dustbin as a garbage. Both of them start their tirade against me stating that I am against the country, no respect for the Flag etc etc. Now I am at my wits end to dispose these off. They are least bothered. They ask me it is simply adorning the house why you are getting worked up?

You may all ask me why did I get them in the first place? I never got them these, they got from school and I got one from my office. I just thought of it be mere plastic so I can dispose it off easily but this is causing a National Crisis in my house.......... Any helpers?

My dear Lalitha,
This is such a valid post.You should be proud of your daughters to be patriotic and try to instill the spirit in others.You are bringing up your daughters as good citizens.My congrats to you.
Vey often this happens.I too wonder when some players actually throw the flg on their shoulders.
Lalitha,I can understand your problem,where to store the plastic tricolours or what to do with them.Well keep collecting them in a box and keep the box in the storage place.If you keep kolu,you can have one step for National leaders and those great ones who laid their lives for freedom of our country.You can even write short notes or better still engage your daughters to do that.It will be their responsiblity to collect,dolls or pictures and decorate that step.They will enjoy this task and will most certainly take them with them when they get married and go to their in laws' house.
I hope I did not bore you with my usual lenghthy piece of writing.
love
mithila mami

Dear Lali,

A nice post dear. I really am glad to know that you have such patrotic daughters who are so sensitive too.

Yeah I can completely understand your predicament. Actually this happens with most of us I guess when we have some pictures or articles at home that we want to dispose off but cannot due to the respect to that element and also due to its sentimental value attached to it.

Well with all respect to the national flag we cannot always have it on display in the living room , so you either fold them carefull and stack them if they are the foldable materials and if not you can keep them standing in a pot or a vase atleast all in one and place them in your childrens room or place them out. I tell you this because Im not sure how your little darlings will react to it being given out. If it ever happens at my place I give it to the maid to give her kids or the security guy or watchman and then leave it at that without really wondering what they do with it.
At the risk of digressing here Lali , we do come across this dilemma when we have to think about the pictures of Gods and Goddesses and we wonder what to do with them , a blog on this was initiated by Krithika(Jithiks).

Nice post Lali and our country can do with patriotic lovers like your daughters .

Love,
Devs

Hi Lalitha,

that is a wonderful sense of patriotism your girls have - esp standing up for the anthem. That said, I am assuming you are referring to the small plastic flags - here's my thought. Using the card board (chart paper) make your kids draw India map there. Then use these tri colors to stick all over the map and this can adorn their room. This way you can use up all the plastic ones, pins etc and see you can even overlap one over the other and it still will not look bad. I am sure your kids will love doing this as a project.

dear Lalitha,
good post.You should be proud of your daughters to be patriotic You are bringing up your daughters as good citizens.My congrats to you.
be proud, to be Indian.......

with love,
Saikripa

Hi Lalitha
Good post on Patriotism, nice to know that your daughters are so patriotic
Yes we always land in such dilemmas with national flags, god photos.
But how long can you keep them you need to do something with them. You are not disposing the real national flag these are just made of plastic, i don't think there is any harm in throwing them off or you can give it to small kids around your house which they will be happy to play with it.

Lalitha
Its a pleasure to note that your daughters are so patriotic.. Its very important to the nation that we have youngsters this way.
I would suggest recycle - it being plastic it should be easy to reuse. I recycle every kind of plastic that we buy especially seasonal items.
Again convey my pride and congratulations to your daughters' for their patriotic feelings.

Hai Lalitha,

Nice Posting. I would like to congragulate you first for having such a nice daughters.

Lalitha,
First...to your daughters patriotism..
Next, my elder daughter and myself would stand up for the National Anthem (of any winning country_ played in the Olympic games...
What a coincidence...I also saw mini-flags in the drawer which I was cleaning...this was drawn by my children on the Independance Day, maybe 2 years back..thinking of what to do..
Got ideas from our friends, would stick to it..

sriniketan

hi ls,

Great kids ma.....

These are the days, they read about history, independence and the struggle, even sipoy movement if i am not mistaken, for janani, so no doubt about them being so patriotic....

nice to know the kids are patriotic, they just stop at my son starts saying mom they should have a class at patriotism, how to respect things, how to behave...the list goes on...I think there is still hope for the future indians isn't it.

one plastic flag is adorning the wall near my calling bell of my flat....have left it as it is...

if you could convince them, remove them and add it to the scrap book that you may be having, with a not below of the date, the reaction and reason for your keeping that flag in the scrap book. who knows tomorrow, they will be happy to have such memories....