Hyderabad woman Suraiyya Tyabji was behind the making of Indian flag

Hyderabad: Pingali Venkaiah is credited with designing our Indian national flag, which was approved by the constituent assembly on July 22, 1947. In 1921, he proposed the flag to the All India Congress Committee. However, it was Suraiyya Tyabji, a Hyderabadi woman who designed the present national flag.

Suraiyya, born in 1919, was the niece of Sir Akbar Hydari, Prime Minister of the Seventh Nizam from 1937 to 1942. She was a well-known artist known for her unconventional and progressive outlook. She and her husband, Badruddin Tyabji, an Indian Civil Servant were members of the committees of the constituent assembly.

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Suraiyya adapted the Lion Capital from the Sarnath Ashoka Pillar and replaced the charkha with another Ashokan motif—a Dharma Chakra. The Dharma Chakra was later incorporated into the national flag as well. She oversaw the sewing of the first flag, which was later presented to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India.

There were numerous designs for national flags. Venkaiah was the designer of the Indian National Congress’ Swaraj Flag. Initially, it was decided that his flag, with Gandhi’s Charkha in the centre, would be the national flag. However, many people were opposed to the idea.

However, it was then that the Tyabji couple was tasked with designing the national flag. Suraiyya specified the fabric and colour shades of the flag in her design precisely.

Neither Badruddin nor Suraiyya ever claimed creative ownership of their design. However, a study conducted by Hyderabadi Historian Capt. Lingala Panduranga Reddy, President of Voice of Telangana, shed light on the true designers of the tricolour. Suraiyya is also named as the designer in a Flag Foundation study.