A group of rowdy Khalistan extremists descended on the Indian embassy in London on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi October 2. They desecrated and insulted the Tricolour (Tiranga), set it on fire, as Gurcharan Singh, the leader of Dal Khalsa UK poured cow urine all over India’s national flag and trampled under his feet.
It was quite a spectacle. The police were present in good numbers to prevent any untoward incident.
The video of the protest went viral. But, also went viral a boy who was seen saving the Tricolour after Singh was done with his separatist angst. The lad can be seen picking the Tiranga from behind Singh, hurriedly folding it with reverence and proudly walking away with, notwithstanding the violent gathering.
His name is Satyam Surana. This Pune boy is a student of the London School of Economics (LSE), which recently hit headlines for discrimination against another Indian student Karan Kataria in student body elections. Kataria had been disqualified for his pro-BJP leanings.
Satyam arrived in London only 17 days ago.
Firstpost interviewed Satyam. Here is his memory of that day.
“I am really glad that people are proud of me. It is the Tricolour that brings us all, all of India together. I just did my duty. I just picked up the flag and went away. The messages I am getting and the response I am getting here is overwhelming. I am just so glad for having done that.
“I got a message that some kind of protest is going on outside the Indian High Commission. The thing was the Indian High Commission had organized a student registration drive and I was helping them in this outreach in my college. I went there after my lectures were over. I saw a crowd of some 500 people.”
“Around 50-60 people were in masks. The Khalistanis were heaping insults on the effigy of our PM and the High Commissioner Mr Doraiswami. They were just shouting pro-Khalistan slogans and spewing Hinduphobic hate.”
“While they were shouting for Khalistan, it was clear that they were targeting a particular party and ideology. They were raising hell against Hindutva.”
“The Tricolour was being insulted al through all along the protest. I saw people have tied our national flag to their legs. Those coming to the protest in their cars had tied the Tricolour to the mud flaps of the vehicles so that it got sullied and was dragged on the road.”
“There was group of around8-10 people who sneaked from behind the police cordon and came in front of the embassy. They trampled the Tricolour under their feet and poured cow urine they had brought in a bottle. I snuck from behind and pulled it after that. In that moment I felt no fear. I forgot there was this whole crowd of blood thirty extremists. I felt that not the Tricolur, but it was me under their feet suffering all that ignominy and insult. I did not plan it, at all. I just felt that it was my duty being an Indian that I should take my flag in my custody and safety.”
“I folded it; put it to my forehead; and I walked away. The police also told me to scoot. These Khalistanis could not understand in that moment what had happened.”
“The flag is now in police custody as evidence.”