Letters to The Editor — June 16, 2025

Bharat Mata and protocol of dignity

I write this letter as the Additional Private Secretary to the Governor of Kerala. The recent controversy surrounding the image of Bharat Mata at a World Environment Day function held at the Kerala Raj Bhavan reflects a troubling trend — the politicisation of cultural and national symbols. What should have been a dignified state event turned into a needless flashpoint when the Agriculture Department objected to the inclusion of a traditional lamp and an image of Bharat Mata in the programme. Although the objection to the lamp was later withdrawn, the image of Bharat Mata was rejected on the grounds that it was allegedly associated with a particular political organisation.

Raj Bhavan, in a spirit of accommodation, even suggested an alternative image — Bharat Mata holding the national flag. Participation in the floral tribute was made voluntary. Yet, on the morning of the event, citing vague “protocol”, the government called it off altogether. This raises uncomfortable questions: when did a floral tribute to a national symbol become unconstitutional? Do symbols such as Bharat Mata — once celebrated by leaders such as Gandhi and Bose — now deserve suppression due to imagined partisan overtones?

Governor Arlekar’s response was measured and moving: for him, Bharat Mata is above all politics — a sacred symbol of India’s unity, heritage, and spirit. That this image is now being rejected not out of reason, but political insecurity, signals a drift from our civilisational roots.

The Governor’s intent was not to politicize, but to uphold cultural dignity. Sadly, the State government’s unwillingness to find common ground reflects a deeper reluctance to acknowledge the legitimacy of India’s symbolic heritage. To question Bharat Mata’s presence in a national event is not secularism — it is cultural denial.

It is time we stop viewing every national symbol through the lens of partisanship. Let us reclaim the space where we can stand together — lighting a lamp, placing a flower, and saluting Bharat Mata — not as ideologues, but as Indians.

P. Sreekumar,

Thiruvananthapuram