Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi’s words about “mental Naxals” brought to mind someone I have always looked up to and admired as a true nationalist — my dear mentor, Ambassador Dr. Deepak Vohra.
His love for India has been the inspiration behind Luv My India, a brand I started with the belief that patriotism should be lived, not merely expressed. And when you know Ambassador Dr. Deepak Vohra’s story, you understand just how deeply that belief can run through a person’s life.
It is a story that, for me, says far more about nationalism than any speech ever could. Because Dr. Vohra was not a nationalist only after he became a diplomat, an Ambassador or a public figure.His love for India, his instinct to stand up for India, was there from the very beginning.
In 1970, when Dr. Vohra was President of the Students’ Union at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, the campus was in the grip of growing Naxalite radicalism. The Naxalite influence at St. Stephen’s was not new in 1970. In 1968, history student Arvind Narayan Das had contested the Students’ Union election on an openly Naxalite platform and won, becoming the first and last Naxalite President of the college’s Students’ Union By 1970, therefore, the Naxalite faction had already demonstrated that it could influence, and even capture, the highest student leadership of the college. Around 30–35 students had reportedly become committed to the movement—some eventually “took to the gun” and went underground. The atmosphere had become so charged that there were even reports of plans to burn the college library and plant a bomb in the chapel. Maoist slogans appeared on the college walls including, “China’s path is our path, China’s chairman is our chairman” while threatening slogans were also written on classroom blackboards. This was the environment in which a young Dr. Vohra chose to stand up. He refused to remain silent and opposed the Naxalite group. The confrontation turned violent, and he was attacked seriously by hockey sticks. The then Principal, Dr. Sircar, personally took the severely injured Deepak Vohra to Dr. Sen’s Nursing Home at ITO for treatment, where he was admitted for many days before he recovered fully.
Just pause and think about that. He was a young student. He was not an Ambassador. He had no office, no position of power, no diplomatic authority and no security around him. He simply had conviction. And when that conviction was tested, he stood his ground. That, to me, is nationalism in its purest form—something that comes from deep within and gives you the courage to stand up even when standing up comes at a cost.
And perhaps many more such stories from his life that make Dr. Vohra’s journey so extraordinary. His nationalism was not acquired with age or position. It was already in his character. Long before he represented India to the world, he was someone who instinctively stood up for what he believed was right for India.
I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Vohra as a mentor and today as the Chief Mentor of Luv My India. And for me, his association with the brand is deeply meaningful. Because Luv My India is not merely about merchandise, flags or slogans. It is about making love for India a part of who we are. It is about carrying India in our hearts, in our choices and in our everyday lives.
And when I look at Dr. Vohra, I see someone who has lived that belief for decades. His love for India did not begin with his diplomatic career. It was there when he was a young student. It was there when he had to stand alone. It was there when standing up came with consequences. And it remains there today, undiminished.
Some people talk about nationalism. Some discover it later in life. And then there are people for whom nationalism is not an idea at all—it is a part of their DNA, their character, their very being.
Ambassador Dr. Deepak Vohra is, for me, one of those rare Indians.
And that is why I feel deeply proud that he is the Chief Mentor of Luv My India
Because loving India should never be seasonal. It should be instinctive. It should be courageous. It should be lifelong.
Vandana Sethhi, Founder Luv My India. 🇮🇳
Not just a brand. A feeling. A way of life.
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