The Symbol Beyond the Cloth: Reflections on the Nation’s Flag

 

Selamat Hari Merdeka

(Photo captured at Kelly's Castle, Perak)

Sundralingam one of the key general under Veerapandiya Kattabomman, defiantly hoisted Kattabomman’s flag at Panchalankuruchi, even as a fully armed British army surrounded them. This act was emblematic of their courage and spirit in the face of colonial aggression. Kattabomman was one of the last standing local Chieftain who fought against the invading British in Tamil Nadu, India (1799), where he was eventually defeated and hung to death.

In the 100 year war, Joan of Arch always carried a white flag which had the image of Christ and Fleur De Lis. She kept the flag aloft in the battle front to inspire and lift the spirits of the soldiers, making them conscious that they are guided by the divine power. According to records the flag did not fall and it is believed that its constant presence and reminder was instrumental in breaking the British siege in 1429.

During the Napoleonic war at the battle of Eylau (1807), French soldiers sacrificed their lives to prevent the Eagle (a symbol of the French flag) from falling into the Russian hands. Napoleon famously was quoted saying, “The Eagle is the soul of the regiment. To lose it is dishonour.”

Thus, has been the value attached to a piece of cloth called a flag. In the last 3 weeks Malaysian’s have been waking up to much noise on the topic, all because an individual accidentally waved the flag upside down. The incident took a turn into becoming a political championing by some quarters and the ugly racial card yet again became the source of the discontentment. But after the incident more photos and videos appeared in the social media about similar mistakes all over the country. So, is it endemic? I really do not know. But what is a bigger concern is the apathy that occurs every year after the National Day Celebration, where many of these handheld flags can be seen strewn all over. Fortunately, over the last few years several civil society organizations took it upon themselves to pick up these flags and dispose it appropriately.

The above observation on public apathy towards the nations flag can only mean one thing, that there are citizens of this country who do not see the nation’s flag beyond it being an identification of our country rather than understanding the deeper meaning of the flag and its significance to citizenry.

In his compelling work, “Ä Flag worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of National Symbol”, Tim Marshall reminds us that a flag, though but a fragment of cloth, carries within its fold the weight of the history, identity and ambition. It is less an object than a vessel, bearing the struggles, sacrifices, and hopes of generations. To those who gather beneath it, the flag becomes both a mirror and beacon. A mirror reflecting who they have been and a beacon guiding of who they strive to become.

That brings us to nationalist consciousness amongst Malaysians, because without strong foundation on historical past and the appreciation of the country’s constitution, eliciting nationalism would be almost impossible.

Based on the available information regarding Malaysia’s education curriculum structure found through online sources, currently in the Primary education, history takes up between 5% - 10%, and constitutional an independence related topic account for between 2% - 4%. Whereas in the secondary education the former represents 10% - 15% and the latter 4% - 7.5% (the estimates provided are indicative rather than definitive). This can be seen as a positive effort by the national education policy developers, but within the existing construct perhaps they can tweak it to provide a deeper and meaningful pedagogy so that every student would grow with national pride, reflecting on the sacrifices made by their forefathers in not only ensuring independence from the colonialists but also later towards nation building.

Malaysia is a nation built by the contribution of many. These contributions must be addressed meaningfully and should not be a mere mentioned in history books. 

For example, many do not know that the Tamil Chettiar community played a pivotal role in Malaya’s economy both before and after independence. Traditionally renowned as financiers and money lenders, they provided essential credit to planters and traders when formal banking was limited, thus enabling the growth of agriculture and commerce. Historically even before the Melaka Sultanate, the Chettiars, linked to Tamil merchant guilds, were part of South Indian trading network across Southeast Asia, financing maritime trade and bridging local economies with global commerce, embedding themselves deeply in regional economic history.

But as far as Malaysian history is concerned the focus on Indians is only mentioned as indentured labourers brought in to work in plantation. But these workers were the backbone that built and gave rise to the Malaysian economy, along with the Chinese labourers brought in to work in tin mines.

After 1957 the Chinese community became the driving force in Malaysian economic growth. Building on their strong presence in trade, mining, and commerce, they expanded into plantation, retail and later into manufacturing. Their entrepreneurship fuelled urban development, exports, and job creations, while investments in education nurtured skilled professionals across industries. By combining adaptability with enterprise, the Chinese community significantly shaped Malaysia’s modernization, making them indispensable pillar of the nation’s post-independence economy.

How many Malaysians know of Yeop Mahidin Mohammed Shariff, the father of the Askar Wataniah Pahang. A police officer by training, he went underground during the Japanese occupation, established a guerrilla resistance group, the Pahang Wataniah, to fight against the Japanese. He risked his life sabotaging Japanese missions and collected intelligence for the Allied forces. Lived in jungle, constantly under threat, to protect his people and his homeland. Yeop Mahidin’s courage and selflessness symbolised patriotic sacrifice in Malaya’s struggle for freedom.

Whilst appreciating past legacies that built the country students should also be inculcated with being aware of their accountability within the framework of the nation’s constitution.

A constitution is not merely a legal document but the soul of a nation it’s a covenant that binds people across generations. To be a citizen then is to be entrusted with its guardianship. Accountability does not merely mean obeying the law but honouring the spirit of justice, freedom, and equality it enshrines. One must exercise rights with humility, balance liberty with responsibility and engage in shared work of democracy. To neglect the constitution is to neglect the moral compass of the nation. Therefore, every citizen bears a sacred duty to keep alive the promise of the constitution through thought, word and deed.

Merely raising the flag during school assembly and waiving the flag during Independence Day, without deeper understanding of its significance, is like reciting a poem in a language that one does not know.

We must correct the root of this apathy rather than trying to deal with the symptom.

The nation has come a long way, no turning back, instead we must invest in mind and action ever evolving to become a living testament of wisdom and justice. Where progress is not only measured in material wealth, but in the depth of our compassion, the strength of our unity, and the courage to shape a future worthy of those yet unborn.

SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA

Cheers.  

ravivarmmankkanniappan@1500250820253.1491° N, 101.6534° E

 

Children With Their Innovation Learning Via their Phone

(A pic taken at Prayagraj January 2025)

"How can a man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his Gods?"

A couplet from "Horatius), a poem in "Lays of Ancent Rome" (1842) by Thomas Babington Macaulay.

The above is inscribed on the Rezang La War Memorial erected on the Chushul Plains, at an altitude of over 4,500 metres right on the Indo-China Line of Actual Control, in remembering the 120 Indian soldiers who stood against 5000 China Peoples liberation Army.

“In India's modern military history, only a few battles rival the raw courage shown by Indian soldiers at Rezang La, a mountain pass in eastern Ladakh. In the battle in November 1962, just 120 soldiers of Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army stood in temperatures of up to -40 degrees Celsius, blocking the path of an invading 5,000 force of the PLA”- (August 8, 2025, India Today Online)

Their defiance stalled the advance, though only 10 survived to recount the heroism. That battle symbolized an India defined by grit and sacrifice. Six decades on, the nation’s trajectory has shifted. Today, India increasingly wields soft power, through technology, innovation, and diplomacy. This transformation appears less a calculated strategy than a natural evolution, reflecting how India seeks influence in the world without diminishing the memory of its martial past.

The unease Donald Trump, and segments of the American right, may feel about the rise of Indian executives in corporate America is revealing. It is not merely a question of immigration or economics but it speaks to a deeper anxiety about shifting centres of influence. Right-wing populism has historically associated such transitions with the erosion of national identity and the destabilization of traditional hierarchies. For a political figure often accused of authoritarian leanings, the growing visibility of Indian leaders in the commanding heights of U.S. business represents not just competition but a perceived loss of control over the symbolic levers of power.

This anxiety becomes clearer when set against the historical backdrop of how power has operated. Rarely has true authority been exercised in the open. In medieval Europe, the Vatican shaped political order from behind the curtain of religion. Later, financial elites, industrial magnates, and media conglomerates became the shadow brokers of influence. Today, that mantle appears to be shifting again, towards global technology corporations, financial platforms, and transnational professional networks. What distinguishes the present moment is the outsized role played by Indian talent in this transformation.

The list of Indian-born or Indian-origin CEOs at America’s most powerful firms, the likes of Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Sundar Pichai at Alphabet, Arvind Krishna at IBM, and many others, just illustrates more than individual success stories. It reflects the structural realignment of global talent flows, where the Indian diaspora has become a pivotal node in the knowledge economy. Their leadership represents both the globalization of corporate America and the erosion of old boundaries that once defined who could or should wield influence at the top.

For established power bases, this moment is profoundly unsettling. Unlike the past, where influence could be traced to clear institutions or domestic elites, today’s digital and transnational order is fluid. Authority is dispersed across networks that do not map neatly onto national borders. The traditional walls that elites once leaned on for security are slippery, unstable, and constantly shifting. Betting on a “right horse”, be it a nation, an industry, or a leader, has never been more uncertain.

This explains the disquiet in populist and nationalist circles. India’s rise in corporate America does not simply represent success for a diaspora community but it underscores the broader disintegration of familiar power structures. In a digital, globalized era, the very architecture of power is being rewritten, and those who once claimed ownership of it are struggling to keep their footing.

The uncertainty is not merely economic or political but structural, signalling a transition in how power is organized and exercised in the 21st century. For established powers, this may well be the most disorienting period in recent history, one where the old playbook of control no longer guarantees outcomes.

Cheers.

ravivarmmankkanniappan@1103160820253.0567° N, 101.5851° E

CHETTINAD MUTTON UPPU CURRY

 

GRAND FINALE

It was my son in law Kuga's birthday, and I only realised a day later. Nevertheless called him to wish a belated birthday greeting. At the same time wanted to try Chef Shankar Santhiram's Chettinad Mutton Uppu Curry for sometime, hence invited Kuga and Dhivyaa for lunch to experiment the mutton curry in celebrating Kuga's Birthday..

The Ingredient

I thought this recipe had the most hassle free ingredients. Mutton, of course, small onions (shallots), chopped onions, Gingerly oil, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, gundu milagai (dried round chillies), and garlic (it is missing in pic but it also had a twist during cooking).

I kept the cooking process very close to Chef Shankar's. Firstly pour about 400ml of gingerly oil in the wok and let it heat. Add gundu milagai, and when it gives out the aroma, add chopped garlic (which I forgot), instead I transferred the shallots and later the chopped onions. Allow the chopped onions to lightly turn colour, then add cinnamon sticks, and stir for a while. Then add the chopped tomaotes and sprinkle one or two tea spoon of tumeric powder. Mind you I am only cooking about one and a half kilo of meat. Then add salt and allow it to blend well.

The Blended Ingredient

Finally add the mutton and stir well and allow the blended ingredient to seep through the mutton. Allow the mutton to cook for half an hour or so. By the way I have not added any amount of water at all, and you don't have to too.

Mutton and Added

Stir periodically, and allow the mutton and the ingredients to blend well. Actually the juice from the mutton would add to the flavour and would keep the moist for cooking intact. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 30 minutes. Then continuously stir from time to time. Since I did not preasure cook the mutton, the meat needed a good one hour or so on the fire to get it cooked well. By the way I forgot about the garlic which I blended and was still in blender, so what I did was I added it later as the meat was cooking. In actual fact the Garlic should go right after the gundu milagai. Also I added potatoes too, just to give body to the curry.

The Final Product

I stirred allowing the meat to cook and blend with juice and gingerly oil till the entire curry became dry, and after an hour and half of toil, voila the Chettinad Mutton Uppu Curry was ready.

With Greeja's saffron rice with ghee, the uppu curry went extremely well, downed with Indian Sherbet. I guess we made the day for the birthday boy.  

Thank you Chef Shankar for this great recipe.

ravivarmmankkanniappan@1619090820253.0567° N, 101.5851° E