Reinforce Your Solidarity with the Armed Forces

The Armed Forces Flag Day is solemnly observed every year on December 7. The day is intended to honour the brave soldiers, airmen and sailors of India, and to reassure them that the entire nation is behind them.

After India achieved independence, a need arose for the government to manage the welfare of its defence personnel. A committee set up under the defence minister decided on August 28, 1949 to observe a Flag Day annually on December 7 to honour the valiant, the martyred, the brave veterans and to enhance the traditional bonds that exist between citizens of the country and Armed Forces.

The idea behind observing a Flag Day is collection of funds through distribution of flags for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel. It is a time for the community to express its gratitude and appreciation to the serving and veteran military personnel of India and to acknowledge the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs.

Many bravehearts from the Armed Forces have laid down their lives during the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971, Chinese Aggression of 1962, Operation Vijay in Kargil in 1998 and also in combating the ongoing cross-border terrorism and insurgency. They have left behind widows and children to fend for themselves. A large number of service personnel have become disabled and need care and rehabilitation. The Flag Day brings to the forefront our obligations towards disabled men in uniform, widows and dependents of those valiant soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for our motherland.

The Flag day is mainly observed to serve three basic purposes – rehabilitation of battle casualties, welfare of serving personnel and their families, and resettlement and welfare of ex-servicemen and their families.

On the Flag Day Armed Forces formations and units arrange variety shows, carnivals, dramas and other entertainment programmes. Throughout the country token flags and car flags in red, deep blue and light blue colours, representing the three Services are distributed to the public in return for donations.

The Flag Day gives us an opportunity to contribute most generously to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. Contribution from public is received throughout the year.

Contributions to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund

Contributions to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund are exempted from Income Tax vide Government of India Notification No. 78/2007 dated 26 Mar 07. Contributions to the Fund are recommended to be sent through account payee cheques payable to “Armed Forces Flag Day Fund” C/O Secretary, Kendriya Sainik Board, Ministry of Defence, West Block IV, Wing-VII, Second Floor, RK Puram, New Delhi110066 or may be deposited directly into the following banks in favour of “ARMED FORCES FLAG DAY FUND” at account number:

1) Oriental Bank of Commerce AlC No. 08902041002185

2) Induslnd Bank AlC No. 0012-B29000-001

3) Punjab National Bank A/C No. 3083000100179875

Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon – Best Indian Patriotic Song

Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo (O! the people of my country!) is an Indian patriotic song written in Hindi by Pradeep and composed by C. Ramchandra, commemorating Indian soldiers who died during the Sino-Indian War. It was famously performed live by Lata Mangeshkar in the presence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Ramlila grounds in New Delhi on Republic Day (26 January) 1963, several months after the end of the war.