Opinion Sushma Swaraj well within her right to attack Amazon on national flag issue

WATCH VIDEO | After Sushma Swaraj, Economic Affairs Secretary Slams Amazon For Selling Indian Flag Doormats

Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. /1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

Meanwhile, many people can dismiss Swaraj’s reaction by terming it hypernationalism. However, it is preposterous to think that any Indian will find it appropriate for someone to rub their shoes on their national flag–which was apparently being sold by a business house that  wants to expand in India. In the past there have been incidents where people have been forced to show their nationalism by court order or government decree like standing up for the national anthem in cinema halls. In such cases the orders were in fact harsh and unreasonable.

But, some institutions deserve respect and if a citizen, a foreign minister for that matter, is attacking a foreign entity for disrespecting our national flag then she would be well in her right to do so. Even if she were not a minister, a citizen can show outrage when a symbol of their national identity is run to the ground.

Granted that where the incident took place such instances may be within legal boundaries, but we can’t judge to what extent someone can go with our national flag based on foreign laws and their legal liberties.

Isn’t Amazon responsible for the products that are sold on its platform. It is common sense that anything involving another nation’s symbols and identities should be treated with sensitivity according to prevailing values and sentiments in the country in question.

Questions arise from some quarters that whether national flag, national anthem, and other such institutions are so weak or small that we have to defend them on each such incident? Are they maligned by an act by ill-informed or even ill-meaning individuals? The answer is no. That doesn’t mean it gives someone a free hand to take absolute liberties in such matters. The national flag, national anthem, the Constitution, all represent the spirit of sovereign India.

By such questions, people expose themselves to other arguments that whether it is right to do so? Is this validation of insult in our society? Or do we practice different standards in our own case and in the case of our country and its institutions.