Navtej Sarna Reflects on India’s Flag, Forgotten Heroes at Odisha Literary Festival 2026

Navtej Sarna explores India’s flag, forgotten freedom fighters and untold histories at the Odisha Literary Festival 2026.
on Sep 07, 2026

The opening day of the Odisha Literary Festival 2026 brought history, diplomacy and literature together as author and former diplomat Navtej Sarna spoke about the stories and symbols that have shaped India’s national identity.

In a conversation titled “The Art of Diplomacy: Writing Different Worlds,” moderated by senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Sarna took the audience back to the making of India’s national flag. Recalling the Constituent Assembly debate of July 22, 1947, he explained how the decision to replace the charkha with the Ashoka Chakra reflected India’s transformation from a movement resisting colonial rule into a modern nation. For Sarna, the Chakra represented both Dharma and the idea of progress.

He also spoke about how the meaning of the flag’s colours evolved over time. Referring to Pingali Venkayya and Mahatma Gandhi’s early ideas, he explained how the colours gradually moved beyond communal interpretations to take on deeper philosophical meanings associated with sacrifice, purity, growth and detachment.

Sarna’s interest in history, however, goes beyond well-known symbols and events. Discussing his novel The Exile, which explores the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, he highlighted how many fascinating historical figures remain on the margins because their stories do not fit neatly into established narratives.

His novel Crimson Spring, centred on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, similarly looks beyond the tragedy itself. Sarna spoke about the wider forces surrounding the period, including the Ghadar movement, soldiers returning from the First World War, Gandhi’s Satyagraha and the Gurdwara reform movement.

One of the most intriguing parts of the discussion was his research into Udham Singh. Sarna said his work revealed a much more complex and enigmatic personality than the popular accounts often suggest. He described Singh as a remarkable internationalist who travelled under different names and identities before eventually assassinating Michael O’Dwyer in London, 21 years after Jallianwala Bagh.

The session also turned to Sarna’s translation of the Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh’s Persian letter to Aurangzeb. He shared that the translation took him two years, reflecting the depth and complexity of the historical text.

Through his writing and research, Sarna’s conversation offered a reminder that history is not only about dates and famous events - it is also about the lesser-known people, choices and stories that continue to shape how a nation understands itself.