Union government has ordered all its employees to hoist the national flag stop their houses to mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the 75th year of India’s Independence celebrations from August 9-13 to show their love for the country preceding the Independence Day on August 15, 2022 with the customary unfurling of the national flag Tiranga by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of the red fort followed by his landmark address to the nation. Union government has also exhorted the people at large to do the same to exhibit and reiterate their love for the country.
In a circular order dated July 21, 2022, the Centre has made it compulsory for its entire work force to hoist the Tiranga atop their houses. Order enumerates further that each employee will be provided national flag by the government costing Rs.38 (thirty eight) per flag, to be deducted from their August salary. Political analysts perceive it undemocratic and fascistic coming from an autocratic union government. This is also perceived to be designed to regiment government employees to the RSS Pariwar’s weaponised hyper nationalism of majoritarian politics.
Accordingly, all Ministries/departments have issued consequential orders to the employees of their attached, subordinate offices, public enterprises (public sector undertakings), Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) under their control to implement the government orders to this effect. Central universities, Central schools like Kendrya Vidyalaya/Navodaya Vidyalaya have also been asked to implement the orders.States/Union Territories, local bodies/village panchayats will also replicate the same.
This commandment is patterned on creation of PM CARES Fund by the government, a highly opaque system of raising coercively fund from one day salary cuts from inclusive Central employees and corporates keeping it above public accountability, It does not come even within the ambit of the Right to Information Act although money raised is on the authority of government and the PM. It is baffling that another Fund has been created over and above the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Observers of the present autocratic union government and its RSS Pariwar ruled States/Union Territories view it as commanding compulsorily the RSS Pariwar version of militant Hindu nationalism known as hyper nationalism, misconstrued as patriotism. They maintain that all people love their nation ingrained in their hearts and psyche right from their child hood from primary schools and traditionally through folklores carried forward to the posterity. Patriotism that is imposed is annoying and short lived.
RSS Pariwar’s version of patriotism is viewed as Hitlerian,
heavily loaded and weaponised against the minorities, dalits, women and ‘one size fits all’ denomination of patriotism. Real patriotism is a matter of emotions which one carries within the recesses of one’s heart and for that matter it is natural instinct that is spontaneous overflow of one’s powerful emotions. All religions as also human history are replete with the fact that people’s love for their motherlandare natural that cannot be imposed, much less commanded.
A cross section of well meaning people of goodwill and substance maintain that at a time when cost of living is the highest in the last 30 years, compulsory deduction of rupees thirty eight from the pay ofespecially lower rungs of employees will hit them hard. Besides, it is time the RSS Pariwar union government reiterated the constitutional postulates of Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity to unify the currently divided people rather than indulging in political vendetta oriented majoritarian communal, divisive, targeted violence against minorities, dalits, women raising specters of social fissures further to stunt country’s peace and progress. People maintain that Independence Day is a sacred solemn day to shun bigotry and political vendetta and take a fresh pledge to take the strides made by the country since the first Independence Day, forward with a fresh pledge to carry all sections of people together for more and more progress of the nation!.