Surayya Tyabji (1919-1978) was a distinguished artist and designer who played a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in shaping India’s national symbols during its transition to independence. Hailing from a prominent Muslim family deeply engaged in the freedom struggle, she played a pivotal role in creating emblems that represented the unity and heritage of the new nation.
Born in Hyderabad, Surayya Tyabji’s commitment to India was a family legacy. Her uncle, Sir Akbar Hydari, served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1937 to 1941. Her grandmother, Lady Amina Hydari, was a pioneer in women’s education, and her husband, Badruddin Tyabji, was a member of a family with a long history of leadership within the Indian National Congress. This environment nurtured her artistic talent and strong sense of national identity.
As India neared independence in 1947, the Ad Hoc Flag Committee, headed by Rajendra Prasad, sought a design acceptable to all communities, moving beyond the Indian National Congress flag, which featured a charkha (spinning wheel). Surayya and Badruddin Tyabji were jointly commissioned — at Nehru’s behest — to work on a new design, and together they proposed replacing the charkha with the Ashoka Chakra, a wheel of 24 spokes drawn from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.
This was a masterstroke of design and symbolism. The Chakra represented both movement and dharma (righteousness) — ancient ideals that resonated across the diverse fabric of Indian society — and transformed the flag from a party-specific banner into a truly national emblem. Surayya originally painted the chakra in black, but Gandhiji objected, and it was accordingly changed to its enduring navy blue.
Her involvement did not end with the design. Surayya meticulously oversaw the sewing of the very first flag, ensuring that the shades of saffron, white, and green were precise. This flag flew on Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s car on the night India was declared independent — a historic moment she had personally helped craft. The Constituent Assembly officially adopted the design on July 22, 1947.
For decades, Surayya Tyabji’s role remained in the shadows. It was largely through the testimony of her daughter, the noted craft revivalist and Padma Shri awardee Laila Tyabji, that her mother’s contribution was restored to public memory in 2018. Her story remains a powerful reminder of the vital, and still under-acknowledged, role of women — particularly Muslim women — in shaping the identity of modern India.