Madagascar: the eventful beginnings of the national flag

Text by: Sarah Tétaud Follow

On June 26, Madagascar will celebrate its 60 years of independence. As a health crisis, the National Technical Committee for the organization of the festivities has reduced the celebration of this anniversary to a minimum. A disappointment that has not prevented public buildings from being adorned with white-red-green colors and seeing a multitude of flags blooming all over the country, from the windows of dwellings to the pediments of businesses, from urban furniture to sold covers everywhere in the streets, the tricolor emblem is everywhere. Adopted in 1958, the day after the birth of the 1st Republic, the design of the flag has remained unchanged since that date. However, it was not immediately unanimous and was even strongly criticized.

Publicity

We are in 1958, two years before independence. The 1st Republic is about to be born in Madagascar. It is time for the country to set up its emblems, which will be recognized by all Malagasy citizens. So, on the waves of "Radio Tananarive", the colonial radio of the time and ancestor of the RNM, Radio Nasionaly Malagasy, a call for projects is launched throughout the island to create the flag of the future republic.

A technical commission made up of Malagasy people from the four corners of the island, is specially formed to choose the flag.

On October 15, 1958, the day after the proclamation of the First Republic, the commission met and selected the 5 projects that seemed most relevant to it. A photographer from the General Information Service immortalizes the presentation of these 5 flags, held by hostesses hoisted on a podium in front of the members of the Commission.

Finally, it is the project n ° 2 which will be adopted, as shown by another unpublished photograph, unveiled by the Museum of Photography of Madagascar, in Antananarivo, which currently offers an exhibition on the “Holidays of the return to the 'Independence ".

"  What we can see in this photo is the project selected by the technical commission  " comments the historian and director of the Photo Museum Tsiory Randriamanantena. “  This is the flag drawn by Andrianome Ranaivosoa. This citizen is an agent of the Malagasy National Geographic Institute . "

A simple geometric pattern and striking colors

A white vertical stripe, two green and red horizontal stripes. A simple and striking design. "  Why was he chosen? Because aesthetically, it was quite pretty, let's say it. And then because the colors were going to be easily recognized and retained by the Madagascans  ”continues the director of the museum.

Originally, the three colors chosen by the designer of the flag had no particular meaning. It is only a little later that symbols will be attributed to them. And it is Barinia Tsara, member of the Bureau of the National Constituent Assembly, and future minister of Philibert Tsiranana, who will give the explanations: "  White is purity, red is sovereignty, green, Gentlemen, it is hope  ”.

Political and ethnic controversies from the adoption of the flag

Problem, this flag suffers a round of criticism, from the opposition but also from part of the population. "  At a time when we are making the choice of a flag which is supposed to represent an entire country, it is controversial first because it uses the red and white colors of the flag of the Merina Kingdom  " says Tsiory Randriamanantena. “  As a result, for its detractors, it highlights a certain population, which is moreover the population which dominated in the 19th century, throughout the Malagasy territory.  "

At the same time, the opposition of the time pointed to the colors red and green which were also those of the political party PSD, the Social Democratic Party led by Philibert Tsiranana, at the time, president of the provisional government.

It will therefore take some time before the Malagasy people definitively accept this flag as an emblem of the nation.

The flag will be presented for the first time to citizens on October 21, 1958 on Avenue de la Liberation (which will change its name from June 26, 1960 to be called "Avenue de l'Indépendance"). It will take another two years for him to float alone, with no French flag at his side.

A meaning that evolved with the times

If the design of the flag has not been modified, the meaning attributed to its colors has tended to vary in recent years. On the websites of the ministries, you can read different explanations: red would correspond to victory, the color of the earth and Malagasy houses or even the blood of the zebu. White, on the other hand, would now represent peace and freedom. As for green, it would designate Madagascan plantations and forests. New meanings which leave perplexed and annoy the oldest, but which did not taint the spirit to hoist the flags on the facades of the dwellings.

This year, the military parade will take place behind closed doors, not in Mahamasina - the stadium is still under construction - but on Independence Avenue. To avoid gatherings, the fireworks were canceled and the lantern festival was prohibited. The program originally planned has been postponed to October 14, the anniversary of the birth of the 1st Republic.

Finally, only the Malagasy flags, imperturbable to change, continue to float proudly in the air, like a foot-nose to this pandemic.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Madagascar
• History

On the same subject

Africa Report

Madagascar: removing miners from vanilla plantations

Madagascar: impatience rises on the question of the restitution of the Scattered Islands