Is tricolor giving way to saffron?

Saffron or Kesariya, as the color symbolizes, is a sign of sacrifice, renunciation of materialism and quest for light and salvation. As a color of choice for the drapery of sages, it emblematizes the renunciation of earthly and carnal pleasures to search for the ultimate truth and achieve a greater purpose in life. Saffron is, in fact, at the heart of Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma. Sikhs adore it and Buddhist monks adorn it. Curiously, saffron as a drape is forbade for the male Muslims as per the Sunnah. Some say, it’s a global symbol of sex. Be it Cleopatra or Alexander, The Great- none could fight shy from eulogizing its virtues.

Pingali Venkaiah, the architect of India’s tricolor, might have had some noble intentions in his mind while choosing to place it at the very top of our flag. The saffron, for now, seems to be on the prowl; ready to engulf the other colors that constitute a complete India.

The Saffron Brigade, as the BJP and Sangh Parivaar is (in)famously known as, has made it a point to saffronize the entire country. The glaring examples are just everywhere to see.

Religious Re-conversions or Ghar-wapsi

At the time of writing this article, a prominent English New channel was flashing the VHP orchestrated ghar-wapsi (or religious (re)conversions) of 22 Christians in Alappuzha, Kerala.

As the organizers and sympathizers of religious re-conversions decry the relentless media witch hunt, three simple questions-

Does religious re-conversion into Hinduism guarantee a speedy route to salvation?

Will the same Hinduism, renunciation of which was the result of its highly casteist and bi-partisan principles, guarantee them equivalent social respect as is commanded by its existing upper-castes?

Will subscription to Hinduism guarantee food without doing labor, job without having skills and immortality without doing good?

If yes, there’s no reason why there should be so many religions and gods in this world when Hinduism can be the panacea.

If no, all you need is a little introspection.

There’s enough evidence now emerging about the fascist connection of the back-room Johnnies whose brain-child was RSS, a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization.

The conspicuous silence of our PM Mr. Narendra Modi, who earlier distanced himself from the activities of RSS to project his “development man” image, is highly unjustifiable and morally untenable. Besides, it exposes the apathy and disinterest of the ruling party to curb such ill-founded titillations of its ideological mentor.

Bharat Ratna

In its decision to confer the highest civilian award of the land- BHARAT RATNA- on Mr. A.B.Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, and Late Pandit Madam Mohan Malviya, whose brainchild was the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the BJP led central government has played its cards wisely. While rewarding Mr. A.B.Vajpayee was in the pipeline for quite a while, it’s the choice of Late Pandit MM Malviya for this highest civilian award that has stirred many a brow.

The association of Pandit Malviya to Hindu Mahasabha, RSS and other right-wing Hindu nationalist organizations; the nexus of Malviya-Lala (Lajpat Rai) who had the dubious distinction of being the Sangh Parivaar heroes in Congress, their ideological differences with the Nehru-Gandhi is for all to see. Indian National Congress had, way back in 1934, restricted its members to possess dual membership in INC and RSS, Hindu Mahasabha etc.

Imposition of Sanskrit

The recent controversy of the saffron propagandists surrounding the failed attempt to forcefully incorporate Sanskrit into the primary and secondary curriculum of children and making such learning mandatory signifies the naiveté notoriety and puerile passion with which such campaigns are being undertaken.

Someone has rightly remarked, “That men don’t learn from the lessons of History is, in fact, the most important of all the lessons of History.”

Let’s not forget that part of the Khalistan movement was a, direct and/or indirect, result of the linguistic and cultural suppression of the Sikhs. The reminiscence of the unfortunate events in the aftermath of this uprising has only bred opprobrium and ignominy for India on the world stage.

Suppression of Freedom of Expression

“The hands that were supposed to carves the paeans to humanity have been butchered, mercilessly, by a few thick-witted tyrants. A writer lives- but his art has died: forever and ever” was my first thought when I learnt that Mr. Perumal Murugan, a noted Tamil litterateur and the author of the now controversial Tamil novel Madhorubagan, has quit writing.

Thanks to the restless and relentless protests of the saffron brigade, writers, poets, philosophers and free thinkers are finding it equally difficult to express their thoughts freely.

PK, a sci-fi-rom-com which questions the legitimacy of a system of multi-god belief, is being targeted as was widely speculated. Phew…I’m tired of citing.

It is said, “Artists and Poets drink from the same helicon.”

I’ve been racking my brains on this one simple but gravest of the queries:

From which helicon do these people drink that makes them so intolerant and insecure that they don’t desist from resisting such expression of thoughts? And;

Is their faith so weak & defenseless that it can’t even bear criticism?

These are but a few examples. There seems to be a cabal working overtime to saffronize this country, not without the nexus with those at the helm.

I’m not privy to the secret whether I selected the color (read religion) of my choice before my birth. God made us what we are- and we are beautiful in our own ways. Why do we chose to beautify the lives of others should we chose to be an ugly manifestation of humanity of our own making?