The country’s 66th Independence Day saw the the biggest tricolour, measuring 72 ft X 48 ft, being hoisted on a 220 ft tall flag post, said to be the tallest in the nation, at Toranagallu near here on Wednesday. The flag was hoisted by Mr Sajjan Jindal, chairman of JSW Steel and his brother, Lok Sabha member from Kurukshetra in Haryana, Mr Naveen Jindal. JSW Steel has erected the gigantic flag post at the Freedom Park it has created on a six-acre plot adjacent to its plant in Toranagal. The company, which has been permitted by the Union government to fly the flag 24 X 7, has made special lighting arrangements to give it the best display. The park, where it occupies pride of place, depicts the freedom struggle, the diverse cultures and traditions of the country and the development it has seen over the years.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Naveen Jindal said the flag was a reminder that the country had a lot more to achieve. Dr. Vinod Nowal, Chief Executive Officer of JSW Steel told reporters that the idea behind developing the Freedom Park and hoisting the gigantic flag on the tallest flag post was to instill a spirit of patriotism among the young and create symbols of national unity. Mr. Nowal said the Freedom Park was developed at a cost of `1.75 crore to also commemorate JSW acheiving a production of 10 million tonnes per annum in a span of 12 years, with the support of the people of the district and the government.
Seven freedom fighters, G.D. Hanumanthappa, H.M. Veerabhadraiah, G. Basappa, B.V. Ajjampur, G.M. Kalappa, T.S. Siddaramappa, and K. Narayan Bhat, were honoured during the inauguration of the Freedom Park at the OPJ Centre.