As India celebrated its 75th Independence Day on Monday, the country’s cartoonists had much to say about the government’s “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign to have a tricolour national flag displayed in every home.

Not surprisingly, many asked whether the swell of nationalism could help overcome the serious challenges on poverty, unemployment and religious polarisation.

But as Satish Acharya suggested, the flag is most of all a symbol of unity.

Manjul focused on the Dalit boy who was beaten to death in Rajasthan by an upper-caste school teacher for drinking water from the teacher’s earthen pot.

Others had a sharp critique of the omission of the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, from an advertisement issued by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnatka unit listing notable freedom fighters. The Hindutva party has long criticised Nehru’s policies and claims that many of India’s current challenges are the result of his decisions decades ago.

Alok chose to highlighted the increasing attacks on rights and liberties.

Sanitary Panels, meanwhile, appealed to India to retain the pluralism and diversity that defines it.