This is why I was triggered when alleged ‘farmers’ unfurled Nishan Sahib on Red Fort.
In1638, when the Capital of Mughal India was shifted from Agra to Delhi, since then, Red Fort has been a synonym to ‘the palace of those who rules the entire empire of India’.
Each of the ‘local’ forces back then wanted to defeat Mughals. Be it the Marathas, Sikhs or Rajputs. All of them always had a dream of conquering the Red Fort and placing their flags on top of it because in Medieval India, that action signified that India is under a new ruler. It always had that symbolic significance in those times (specially during Aurangzeb’s tyranny) the sentiments of which have passed on to descendants of Rajputs, Sikhs and Marathas.
So much so that even in a propaganda party song of a Maharashtra based political party called Shiv Sena, there’s a phrase: “Laal Killa var bhagwa fadto, hyach ekla dhyas!” (to fly the saffron flag on Red Fort is our only objective!) and 100s of interviews & posts available on social media in which radical Pakistanis have been quoted saying that their dream is to unfurl ‘Pakistani Flag’ on that same location.
It was because of the same sentiments of ‘If you furl your flag on Red Fort, you will rule India’ that existed even in 1947. when we gained Independence, Nehru chose Red Fort to unfurl Indian flag.
But why am I triggered because a bunch of people unfurled the Nishan Saheb & Kisan Mazdur Ekta’s flag on a pole of Red Fort that has always been used to unfurl Indian Flag?
It has to do with the fact that when India was in the process of getting it’s independence, our fore parents decided that in this new nation no one will be above and below anything. It is an entirely different debate if that’s actually getting implemented but the ethos & fundamentals were always that India will be a place where everyone is equal. Irrespective of their gender, religion, caste, language of communication and color of the skin, everyone was equal. And to celebrate that ‘equal’, we created nation symbols, which were the National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Emblem and so on. It was roughly like this conversation of: “Yes we have our indifferences and you will feel you’re inferior if I use my symbols and I will feel inferior if you use your symbols. Why not make something new?”. Which led to creation of India’s National Symbols.
Nishan Sahib is a pious flag which was a symbol of resistance and resilience when religious extremism took over India during Aurangzeb’s reign, and is an important part of Indian Army’s traditions. But Red Fort of modern India is not a place for it. Same with Kisan Mazdur Ekta’s flag.
Yes. Over 200 farmers have died in last 2 months and it was really important for Modi Government to show sympathy towards their cause. It is one of the worst thing that has happened in recent times. Yes, farmers have rights to peaceful protest. But those trying to hijack this pan India movement by unfurling a religious flag and making the movement even more exclusive. Even farmer leaders like Rakesh Tikait have openly mentioned that incidents like this maligns a movement.
