The flag of the All India Forward Bloc, a political party in India, was originally designed by the party founder Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.[1] The original design consisted of a tricolour with a leaping tiger.[1]
An AIFB National Council meeting, held in Bhubaneswar April 8-9, 2022, unanimously decided to remove the hammer and sickle from the party flag.[1][2] The move was seen as a shift to emphasize 'Subhasism'.[2] In a press release issued from the meeting argued that the hammer and sickle imagery "somehow blocked the path of Forward Bloc to grow as an independent socialist party".[1] It was announced that the new party flag would be hoisted on July 22, 2022.[3] Six months prior to the National Council meeting the West Bengal AIFB state secretary Naren Chatterjee had met with Chandra Bose, grand-nephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to discuss the planned flag change.[1] Bose stated that he approved of the removal of the hammer and sickle, but also wished the colour would be switched back to the tricolour.[1] He also expressed that the tiger should was made sturdier.[1]
Thursday 2 September 2021 press conf "On Thursday, the party leadership officially announced its decision to remove the symbols of hammer and sickle from the party flag and change the colour of the flag from red to tri-colour. However, the tri-colour flag will continue carrying the symbol of the leaping tiger. This was the original flag of the party, which was founded by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. "[4]
red flag with yellow leaping tiger intended to focus on Subhasism Indian socialism in Indian context Party leaders affirmed that it did not signal a break with the left to be raised on party founding day June 22 tiger counter to rampant lion in UK COA. Springing tiger, influence of Tipu Sultan, was used in AH govt flag [5]
Original tricolour leaping tiger Red flag with HS adopted in 1952 ""This decision is being taken to return to our roots to shift from the concept of communism to Netaji's path of socialism," AIFB GS Naren Chattopadhyay told IANS."" North Dinajpur ex MLA Ali Imran Ramz rejected new flag, stating ""We had been carrying our mass movements with this flag with a leaping tiger and hammer & sickle. Does the present leadership of the party feel that our legendary leaders like Late Ashoke Ghosh and ALate Chitta Basu were wrong in carrying this flag?" He declared formation of 'Azad Hind Fauj'. Chattopadhyay announced suspension of Ali and 4 other WB state committee members [6]
"The Party Flag has been a Red Flag with the leaping tiger and a hammer and sickle since the Chandanagar convention when the party had split to underline its belief in “scientific socialism”."[7]
"Forward Bloc led by Yagee . Yagee was elected general secretary and K.N. Joglekar chairman of the Yagee - led group . Notably , the Yagee- led group adopted a red flag with a leaping tiger and a hammer and sickle . Same year" "1952 general election the party contested as ' Forward Bloc ( Marxist ) ' , a denomination that differentiated i"[8]
""The flag of the party shall be a red flag of which the length shall be one-an-a-half times its width. There shall be a leaping tiger on the flag with the tiger facing the top of the pole. At the right top of the flag there shall be a crossed hammer and sickle, just above the tiger's tail. The body of the Tiger shall be in yellow and black ; Hammer and Sickle be in white ."[9]
1952 "Dec 31 The Forward Bloc ( Marxist ) concluded its 6th plenary session at Puri ( Orissa ) after adopting a new Party Constitution [...] new party flag was adopted showing a leaping tiger and the hammer and sickle on a red ground"[10]
1948 All India Forward Bloc (Ruikar) split, used tricolour with leaping tiger as its flag.[11]
"INA’s emblem of springing tiger, a logo adopted from Mysore’s Tipu Sultan."[12]
"Chandannagar Convention unequivocally declared its firm faith in scientific socialism . The red flag with a leaping tiger and crossed hammer and sickle was adopted as the Party flag"[13]
Material from Azad Hind Mancha article
editwas an organization of rebels from the Forward Bloc who have resigned or been expelled from the party for questioning the "undemocratic functioning" and ideological deviations of the leadership.[14] On June 21, 2022, the Azad Hind Manch was formed under the leadership of Ali Imran Ramz and other rebels.[15]
“The red flag with the image of a leaping tiger with a hammer and sickle is the original flag” is which they will carry forward.[16] They have called for an ideological struggle against the "imposition" of the absurd doctrine of "Subhasvad" on the party workers.[17]
- On June 22, when the Forward Bloc called for the hoisting of the new flag, rebels celebrated the foundation day of the AIFB with the original flag in about 10 districts of the state.[18]
- ^ a b c d e f g Times of India. Bhubaneswar: Forward Bloc goes back to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s original flag design
- ^ a b India Today. Subhas Chandra Bose’s AIFB changes party flag, drops hammer and sickle icons
- ^ Indian Express. With new-look flag, Forward Bloc’s tiger takes the leap: Communism to ‘Subhasism’
- ^ ETV Bharat. Forward Bloc Removes Hammer, Sickle From Flag, Sticks To Nationalistic Concept
- ^ Times of India. Netaji’s party, Forward Bloc, drops hammer and sickle from red flag
- ^ ABP. Factionalism In Forward Bloc As New Flag Drops ‘Hammer & Sickle’: Report
- ^ The Print. Forward Bloc to remove hammer & sickle from party flag
- ^ Encyclopaedia Indica: Freedom fighters. Anmol Publications, 1996. p. 131
- ^ Rathin Chakraborty. Netaji, a Centenary Tribute. Bengal Lokmat Printers, 1995. p. 40
- ^ Indian Press Digests, Vol. 1-2. Bureau of International Relations of the Department of Political Science, University of California, 1953. p. 56
- ^ Bose, K., Forward Bloc. Madras: Tamil Nadu Academy of Political Science, 1988.
- ^ Deccan Herald. Battle over icons in Netaji’s homeland
- ^ A Short History of All India Forward Bloc. 15th Party Congress of All India Forward Bloc, 2005. p. 45
- ^ "একতরফা সিদ্ধান্তে দলীয় পতাকা থেকে উধাও কাস্তে-হাতুড়ি! ভাঙনের মুখে ফরওয়ার্ড ব্লক". sangbadpratidin (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ সংবাদদাতা, নিজস্ব. "Forward Bloc | Forward Bloc: নেতৃত্বকে কাঠগড়ায় তুলে দলের বাইরে ভিক্টরেরা". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "ফরওয়ার্ড ব্লকে পতাকা বিদ্রোহ, ভিক্টরদের সাসপেন্ড করল পার্টি, আজ কী দেখবে কলকাতা Forward Bloc Protest At Kolkata". 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "AIFB Flag Controversy : নেতাজির আদর্শ মেনে পতাকায় বদল মানল না ফরওয়ার্ড ব্লকের বিক্ষুব্ধরা". ETV Bharat News (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ Gupta, Apromeya Datta (2022-06-21). "ফরওয়ার্ড ব্লকে পতাকা বিদ্রোহ, ভিক্টর–সহ পাঁচ রাজ্য কমিটির নেতা সাসপেন্ড". Hindustantimes Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-08.