Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi on 11th of July 2022 unveiled the national emblem that has been placed atop the new Parliament building in a special ceremony also attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Housing Minister Hardeep Puri.
The intial reactions of the opposition were about lack of invitations to the opposition. Opposition also questioned authority of PM to unveil the emblem. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “As head of the government, the Prime Minister shouldn’t have unveiled the national emblem atop the new Parliament building. The Speaker represents LS, which isn’t subordinate to the government“.
Quickly countering the opposition attack, BJP’s chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said the allegations of the opposition parties are politically motivated. “Opposition parties questioning the unveiling ceremony should understand the administrative process. Right from its design to funds and constructions supervision, entire work is being done by the urban development department. Even the foundation laying was done by the prime minister,” Baluni said. He said once the construction work is completed, the building will be handed over to the parliament administration.
Once the initial uproar was about to settle a fresh controversy was fabricated by usual and ever desperate PM critics. The criticism revolved around the so called aggressive look at he lions. Lets first have a look at who said what.
A fierce controversy has broken out over depiction of nation symbol. There is more aggressive depiction of the lions. Is this an insult to national symbol? – Thundered Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today.
From Gandhi to Godse; From our national emblem with lions sitting majestically & peacefully; to the new national emblem unveiled for the top of the new Parliament building under construction at Central Vista; Angry lions with bared fangs. This is Modi’s new India! – Prashant Bhushan tweets on 12 July 2022.
To completely change the character and nature of the lions on Ashoka’s pillar at Sarnath is nothing but a brazen insult to India’s National Symbol! – Jairam Ramesh of the Congress tweets on 12 July 2022.
Lions should represent peace and not aggression. – Jawhar Sircar, TMC MP speaking on India Today.
Insult to our national symbol, the majestic Ashokan Lions. Original is on the left, graceful, regally confident. The one on the right is Modi’s version, put above new Parliament building — snarling, unnecessarily aggressive and disproportionate. Shame. Change it immediately. — Jawhar Sircar , TMC MP tweets.
“The original work has dignity and confidence. The lions there are protective lions. The current sculpture shows anger and discomfort. Here the lions are aggressive,” said Rajmohan Gandhi.
On the face of criticism looks trivial, mediocre – a non-issue. A typical opposition rant – oppose in media whatever PM Modi says and oppose on roads whatever PM Modi implements. Initially many from non-left side could not see anything beyond an ordinary issue, not deserving any special or distinctive attention or discussion. This made them ending up with a technical defense of the emblems.
“People who disrespected constitution, today they are scared of emblem which is sign of India’s pride” – Said Ms. Smriti Irani of the BJP.
“There was no pressure on me to give a certain expression” – Said Artist/Designer of Emblem, Sunil Deore.
Deeper than mere Emblem
However if one takes a pause and makes an attempt to go deeper into core thinking of leftist gang (I refrain myself from calling them party or ideological block), he would realize that opposition to roaring lion is actually opposition to idea of a stronger, Independent India which cannot be enslaved again.
For leftists the idea of India is a meek & feeble state saturated with subjugated Hindu population of apologists and pseudo seculars who have no pride in their history, ancestors and ethos and even their identity and existence. The idea of India is a meek India surrendering to Kashmiri Separatists, Kashmiri Militants, Maoist, ISI, Pakistan’s aggression, Indian Mujahedeen, PFI and most importantly to Friday rioters.
How can India stand tall and strong? How can India buy oil from Russia when USA raises an eyebrow? How can India conduct surgical strike when Pakistan displays military aggression? How can India hang Afzal Guru? How can India care about persecuted non-Muslim minorities in neighboring Islamic countries? How can Indian economy not succumb like Sri Lanka and Pakistan? How can a Hindu monk lead India’s most populous state? How can India dare crush article 370 from a state dominated by Muslims? How can India which took 25 years to launch Polio vaccine, now can vaccinate almost entire adult population in less than 3 years of pandemic burst? How can India not suffer? Finally and most definitely how can India not break again?
The problem is not with statue of a roaring lion. The problem is that it stands for India which wants to roar and stamp its existence in the Kingdom. A direct threat to enemies of India within and outside the kingdom.
The roaring lions also represent a paradigm shift in its national belief – second cheek is not available. If enemies slap us on one cheek, we slap back very hard and make enemy realize the cost of initial slap. And this is the very problem of the leftists cabal.
During 1965 war Ayyub Khan, former President of Pakistan famously said – A Hindu morale would not stand more than a couple of hard blows. Operation Gibraltar was oversold to CIA with a repeated theory of 1:10 Muslim-Hindu ratio suggesting one Muslim soldier was worth 10 Hindu soldiers. This perception is now getting challenged. The aggression and confidence of the enemy is turning into fear and self-doubt after surgical strike. A roaring lion says it loud and clear.
An irrationally pacifist cannot comprehend the connection between aggression, power and peace. A pseudo secularists cannot comprehend distinction between self-respect and surrender. But worse is forces working relentlessly towards breaking India totally comprehend that a collection of unduly pacifists, pseudo seculars and seasonally liberals, is their best tool to disintegrate India. Needless to say the tool as well as the breaking India forces using the tool, both have serious objection to the roaring lion that new India is.
Jai Hind
Kapil Naik