Plough as a Symbol of Identity: Poetic eulogy of Kashmir’s Flag

Abstract

Since the flags of the many nations and countries act as representation of those entities, they serve a crucial purpose in bringing people together and defining their identity in relation to one another The flag of Kashmir was designed in 1939 when the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference changed its nomenclature to All Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. The flag had plough, drawn on the middle of it, with red background. It was chosen to symbolise the hard labour of the peasants of Kashmir which constituted the bulk of the population of the State. Plough being an agricultural tool, peasants had a deep attachment with it. The poets of the time tried to harness this sentimental attachment and began to eulogising the flag and plough. The present paper is an attempt to expound the poetic eulogy of Kashmir’s flag, which helped greatly in identifying the flag with the hopes and aspirations of the common people.