Nowadays, amidst the too many non-serious topics (crimes, scams, unemployment, etc.) ‘saffronisation’ has become the most serious and trendy topic to debate on. Saffronisation, whether it’s the BJP or any other so-called organisation representing Hinduism, everyone has started tagging them with saffron colour. Earlier saffron was only a colour but with time, people (very few who thought even the colour has some caste or religion) started attaching some unwanted feeling with saffron as if saffron is the only thing which represents ‘Hindus’.
Saffron does not represent any religion or region. But if we go in history, we will find that saffron is a colour of ‘Nationalism’.
The song ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’ (Dye my clothes in saffron colour) – does it really talk about any community? I guess not. When this song was written, no one would have ever thought that one day people will start dispensing the colour in the name of religion.
In the era of regionism and religionism (1920s), when very few people knew the real sense of nationalism or ‘swaraj’, they tried to connect their emotions to this song irrespective of the word ‘saffron’ but nowadays when we are in the so called list of ‘developing countries’ we have become colour centric. Now people have started searching the sense of nationalism in colours (saffron is for Hindus and green is for Muslims), clothes or language (if you are a true nationalist, you must speak Hindi). I believe we have lost our roots and are moving to touch the sun.
Do not try to find the sense of nationalism through your words (you are not speaking the last truth), and do not try to define it in your sense either. I have my own feeling and meaning of nationalism. It’s a feeling which can only be felt. A colour cannot define it. If some building is painted in saffron, that does not means it’s only for Hindu’s. It’s not the colour it’s the fraternity which defines us. Nowadays, we have become a country where mere a colour can tell you the religion and zeal of nationalism in persons mind.
Saffron is not the colour of Hinduism, it never was. But it’s a colour of courage, sacrifice one who loves the country and can do anything for the betterment of this India.