Why does Bismillah Khan's shehnai seem like a national symbol?

Because it is linked with Independence Day, Indian culture and public memory

The governing concept is the transformation of an individual instrument into a symbol carrying collective cultural memory. Bismillah Khan's shehnai became associated with important national occasions, including the atmosphere of Independence Day, and his performances brought the sound of the instrument into the public imagination. At the same time, the shehnai remains rooted in Indian traditions, ceremonies, spiritual spaces and the cultural life of Banaras. Because people connect its sound with freedom, national celebration and Indian heritage, it can seem like a national symbol. Option A captures all these links. Options B, C and D are contrary to the lesson: the instrument is public, Indian and deeply musical rather than private, foreign or separate from music.

This is a Class 9 English question. Chapter: The Sound of Music. Topic: Overcoming physical disabilities (Evelyn Glennie) and the life of Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.