The Jindal Steel and Power chairman writes about how, drawing inspiration from the national flag, India can rebuild
Our governments and the agencies are ready for any eventuality. Against this background, I wish to argue that the tricolour can act as a source of inspiration as India strives to ward off the third wave
Illustration: Chaitanya Dinesh Surpur
IIndia is an ancient civilisation. As a modern nation, its journey has only been of over seven decades. If there’s one symbol that aims to keep it united in thought and spirit, deeds and actions, it’s undoubtedly the national flag, our tiranga.
The tricolour subsumes all possible differences. It unites disparate groups, languages, religions and regions under one common symbol.
When our freedom fighters were fighting the British, they knew they were faced with a mighty adversary. The freedom fighters were united by their love for the motherland. When the tiranga was adopted as the national flag, this naturally became the universal Indian symbol of nationalism and patriotism, of sacrifice and love, of unity in diversity and of the idea of India.
Today, we don’t have a colonial adversary to deal with. However, an unknown enemy, a virus, that has created mayhem across the world, has posed a great challenge for India too. The people of the country, its governments, agencies, health care professionals, corporates and businesses, civil society and all other corona warriors rose to the occasion through the two deadly Covid waves.
(This story appears in the 27 August, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)