'Desecration of Indian flag is shameful'

Terming the incident of desecration of the Indian flag by a group of protestors on February 1 as 'absolutely shameful', Member of Canadian Parliament Ujjal Dosanjh stated, "No matter what your political philosophy is, no matter what your political views are, you do not insult the feelings of a billion people."

During an event to celebrate Republic Day in suburban Brampton, a group of protestors had blocked the entrance and spread the Indian tricolour on the ground, forcing people to either drive on the flag or walk over it.

Dosanjh recalled that in 1984, in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, "some protestors   burnt the tricolour outside the Indian Consulate-General in Vancouver and that almost triggered off riots there."

Dosanjh added that he had to pay a heavy price for speaking out against the protestors who burnt the Indian flag in 1985. He was attacked and brutally assaulted with an iron rod by a group of unidentified assailants outside his office in Vancouver. He was seriously injured and had to be hospitalised for several weeks.

But that incident has not deterred him from speaking up against the recent desecration of the Indian flag. "The Indian flag represents the aspirations of all Indians, Indians of all faiths, of all political persuasions.  The flag represents the sacrifices that Indians made to acquire the freedom to concretise their aspirations," says Dosanjh.