Vinayshil Gautam
Whether we like it or not, we are all significantly ethos driven. We are born with a genetic code which carries selections from the DNA of 16 people, eight from our father’s side and eight from our mother’s side. The DNA components of one’s personality has been well researched and established. In many parts of India with many communities, it is practiced as the pind-daan ritual as an ode to immediate generations of ancestors.
In all cases, four generations of ancestors on both the mother’s side and the father’s side are remembered. This is something scientific and many appreciate it as a purposeful gesture.
However, the processes of selection from the DNA is not quite clearly mapped or understood. For example, if somebody in the fourth generation of ancestry was colour-blind, somebody among the lineal successors may be born colour-blind. This symptom can be genetic. Yet, we cannot say which generation will inherit colour-blindness or if at all. Hence, while we know something is there, we are not quite sure of either its contents or coordinates.
‘Inheritance’ is an equally significant element in understanding the architecture of ‘ethoses’. In certain ways it can be tempered by the genetic code and certain other factors. The other factors include the physical and psychological state of biological mother. Early childhood impressions gathered through the eyes or other sensory organs such as the ear (sound), tongue (taste) etc can play a role in defining the ethos which the individual operates with.
As the Homo sapien grows up from the infant stage his/her ethos can also be impacted by the early socialisation process of the person. The individual’s values to some extent get determined by what one witnesses, what one perceives as an encouragement in getting a positive feedback or discouragement with a negative feedback. There is enough empirical evidence to prove that wolf children never have the consciousness of gender the way a human child has. Thus it is, that ethos is central to the making of an individual.
The same can be true of communities. The way parts of the Jaat community behaves is clearly so distinct from, say the behaviour of a specific Naga tribe. Even religion is not a leveler in an absolute sense. The difference between a Ramgarhia Sikh and a non-Ramgarhia Sikh is significant enough to give a level of comfort or discomfort, say in a marriage, even amongst communities of the same religion. A Syed Nazibuttarfain Muslim is clearly distinct from an Ansari Muslim. Forget the larger distinction between a Shia and a Sunni. A hierarchical structure of ritual acceptability is there in many religious communities.
In such an environment, the issue of national ethos is as complex, sociologically as perhaps any of the other sociological complexities. Irrespective, there is such a thing as a national ethos. Man-woman relationship of a British couple is not necessarily of the same, ethos, as the man-woman relationship in Koeri community. This is not to a fault but to recognise that there are defining characteristics and identifiable behaviour patterns of communities.
An Indian, irrespective of caste, religion, community through a normal law of averages, does talk with ease, of fate as an explanation of his lives experiences. Referring to kismat or bhagya or pointing to the forehead to highlight the principle of pre-destination is quite common in India. This does not happen in a similar fashion, say in a Teutonic community. This is ethos. Understanding its fundaments contribute to nurturing realistic nationalism.
Of course, the anthem, the flag, other symbols and forms help. What strengthens a national identity is the recognition of the binding factors which put the group together. It helps to reach a consensus and make it a part of the narrative of nation building.
This can be done empirically. The sooner it is done to the satisfaction of a broad number of the citizenry, the more robust would be the feeling of nationalism.
This need not necessarily make one community superior or another inferior. It only helps to read the writing on the wall and spell out the obvious, to achieve the goal of nationalism in a more realistic manner.
(The writer is a well-known management expert)
