7th Dec, The Armed Forces Flag Day - The day to show our devotion to the first devotees of the nation

It’s the 7th of December. The day that's marked with zeal and zest across the country, every year. The day that commemorates the sacrifices and gallantry of brave soldiers of the armed forces. Also called the Flag Day, this day honours the soldiers, airmen and sailors who fought on the frontline to safeguard country’s honour and is dedicated towards collection of funds from the people, for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel. Honouring the brave martyrs of the nation, the day was first observed annually throughout India on Dec 7, 1949.

The day to thank the Armed forces

Over the years, the occasion has become an important tradition and reminds the nation of its obligation to serve three basic purposes, Rehabilitation of battle casualties, Welfare of those serving and their families, Resettlement & welfare of the retires & their dependents. This includes the current & veterans of forces, disabled soldiers, war widows and dependents of those who have sacrificed their lives for the safety and integrity of India. The three bodies of the Armed Forces, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy too organise variety of programmes to observe the day and showcase the efforts that ensures national security.

When Idea arose to return the favour of selfless warriors in some way

When India got its freedom, the immediate challenge that the Govt faced was to manage the welfare of its defence personnel. Subsequently, on Aug 28, 1949, a committee was set up under the defence minister’s committee who decided to observe a Flag Day annually on Dec 7th. The idea behind was to distribute small flags to people representing the three bodies of Indian armed forces and collect donations in return.

Flag day thus reminds us every year to consider our responsibility of taking care of the families and dependents of the armed forces personnel who serve the nation selflessly and lay their lives fighting for us at the national frontier.

This day every year, is the time for us to express gratitude

The fund collection is managed throughout the country by the local arms of the Kendriya Sainik Board, which is part of the Ministry of Defence. The collection is organised both by official and non-official means through voluntary organisations. There are 32 Rajya Sainik Boards and 392 Zila Sainik Boards in the country to assist the Central Govt. in this noble move.