ATTARI: Soldiers posted at the Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar will soon be able to sing “jhanda ooncha rahe hamara (may our flag fly high)” again, as India is all set to install the tricolour on a pole that is 18 feet taller than the neighbouring country’s flagpole.
Pakistan had installed its national flag on a 400-ft-high pole six years ago in response to the tricolour flying atop a 360-ft pole on the border.
Now, India’s 418-ft-tall flagpole is ready and awaiting inauguration. Sources said the inauguration was scheduled to take place in a few days, but was deferred “due to unforeseen reasons that surfaced at the last moment, necessitating a reconsideration of the timing for the momentous event”.
Set up by the National Highways Authority of India for Rs 3.5 crore, the flagpole is mounted atop a 4-foot pedestal 100 metres from the 360-ft-high flagpole, which Amritsar Improvement Trust had erected in 2017. Later that year, Pakistan installed a 400-ft-tall flagpole on its side on its 70th Independence Day.
Sources said Pakistani purpose extended beyond symbolism. “Their pole is fitted with cameras, raising concerns about potential espionage,” said a source, adding that India’s new flagpole and might have advanced security features. The NHAI has reportedly kept five-six national flags, measuring 120×80 ft and weighing 90 kgs each for the inauguration.
Pakistan had installed its national flag on a 400-ft-high pole six years ago in response to the tricolour flying atop a 360-ft pole on the border.
Now, India’s 418-ft-tall flagpole is ready and awaiting inauguration. Sources said the inauguration was scheduled to take place in a few days, but was deferred “due to unforeseen reasons that surfaced at the last moment, necessitating a reconsideration of the timing for the momentous event”.
Set up by the National Highways Authority of India for Rs 3.5 crore, the flagpole is mounted atop a 4-foot pedestal 100 metres from the 360-ft-high flagpole, which Amritsar Improvement Trust had erected in 2017. Later that year, Pakistan installed a 400-ft-tall flagpole on its side on its 70th Independence Day.
Sources said Pakistani purpose extended beyond symbolism. “Their pole is fitted with cameras, raising concerns about potential espionage,” said a source, adding that India’s new flagpole and might have advanced security features. The NHAI has reportedly kept five-six national flags, measuring 120×80 ft and weighing 90 kgs each for the inauguration.
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