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Yogi Adityanath ji,
Congratulations on being appointed to the highest office of the state that has a history of waging wars and empires fading away into time. I have witnessed my sons dying and seen speeches sketching revolutions.
I have seen things change with time. The crests that adorned my palaces, the cultures across my lands, the colours that paint my symbols have changed and so have the people that reside here. I have witnessed many ages, with many leaders, and many people.
So when the unexpected call was taken to announce you as the “care-taker” of my land, I was ready for the change, for that has been an integral part of my heritage.
From colouring my streets blue to the policemen’s changing uniform, I have seen it all. From building of parks with party symbols to renaming the small towns again and again, I have stood strong and watched it all. From elephants to cycles, I’ve seen people come and go, seen them grow and fall apart.
So, when you came in with your saffron robes and your saffron entourage it was not something new that I was witnessing.
Those saffron chairs that you so happily used wasn’t something new to me. After all, it’s the advent of new governance that always comes with a new style, a new colour. I have seen my colours change with the coming of someone new. Every. Single. Time.
I knew and in a way expected what was coming for me.
The curtains of your office, the colouring of poles and dustbins and even the announcement of 50 saffron coloured buses did not surprise me.
But…
When you changed the colours of something that signifies the very being of my democratic existence, it rocked my core.
Colouring the secretariat – from where you carry out your duties – in your party’s image, now THAT is going a bit too far!
The monochrome that you chose to colour me (or rather my democracy) in, does that portray that you are above the power of democracy? It’s great that you have invested money to revamp me, but did you think about how much more effort it will require to ‘de-saffronise’ me?
Saffron se white karne me bahut mehnat lagti hai, Yogiji.
While I completely understand your and your party’s need to let my people know that you are there, and the need to establish your dominance through colours, but Yogiji, in case you are forgetting, let me remind you that your party logo (and my people) has green too.
And as you might have known that these days saffron or green are not just colors. So, I am not very sure how far will you be able to go if you ignore one completely.
When you were appointed, I was hopeful that you will bring a change for my folks who have suffered enough. I thought you would help bring peace and unity in the state that has seen war and destruction since decades.
But now, it feels like you are bringing a change only in colours and in name, when me and my people had something entirely different in our minds.
Why Yogiji? Kyu range tu mohe gerua?
Yours truly,
The coloured enough, Uttar Pradesh
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Published: 07 Nov 2017,09:28 AM IST