An Indian student named Satyam Surana, who tried to protect the Indian Flag during a Khalistani protest outside the Indian High Commission in London, said that his conscience persuaded him to protect the Indian flag from being demeaned during the demonstration.
Satyam, a student at the London School of Economics, said: "I saw the Indian flag was being demeaned, went behind the police lady who had stepped on the flag intentionally. I picked up the flag and I just moved away then."
"I had never seen the Indian flag being demeaned this way. My inner self, my mind, my conscience were shocked to see how this could happen. That's what motivated, persuaded me to go forward and do what I did," he said.
During the protest, Khalistani demonstrators breached barricades and approached the Indian High Commission with an Indian flag and a bottle of what they claimed to be 'cow urine.' They were protesting the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated as a terrorist in India, who was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada's Surrey on June 18.
In response to the protesters' actions, Satyam picked up the Indian flag from the ground, which led to some of the Khalistanis reacting angrily and cursing him. Metropolitan police officers intervened to protect Satyam and safely escorted him away from the scene.
A video of Satyam rescuing the Indian flag went viral after former UK Government Advisor Colin Bloom posted the incident on social media.
Satyam said, "So, there was a protest going on outside the Indian High Commission and when I went to see what was going on, I realized it was a protest by the pro-Khalistan group and these people were giving their slogans and the protest was going on."
He described how some protesters were stepping on the flag, which he found deeply offensive. When protesters placed the flag on the ground and disrespected it, He followed his instinct and rescued it.
Satyam's parents, while concerned about his safety, are proud of his actions as he expressed pride in serving his nation and protecting its dignity.
The Khalistani protest occurred shortly after a planned interaction between the Indian High Commissioner to Britain, Vikram Doraiswami, and the Gurudwara Committee in Glasgow was deliberately disrupted by individuals from outside Scotland.
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The Indian High Commission in London reported the disruption to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police.
"On September 29, 2023, three persons- all from areas outside Scotland-deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurudwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner and the Consul General of India. The organisers included senior community leaders, ladies and Committee members, and a member of the Scottish Parliament," the statement said.
"They were threatened and abused by these elements. In an effort to prevent any potential altercation, the HC and CG decided to leave the premises shortly upon their arrival," it added.
Community organisations, including the organisers of the interaction, have formally expressed regret over the incident and urged authorities to take action against the culprits.