Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
There is hardly any society in the world, where total population is follower of one political thought and one religious and cultural following, but we never heard of such statements as to leave the country either from the people or politicians related to treasury benches not falling in line with them. So it is right to say mere stating that one is very nationalistic is not enough his/her words must co-relate to his/her actions also. So we have to introspect at the national platform, whether we are not denting the nationalism, athe national conscious exists but it is required to be enhanced but the pseudo-nationalist and ultra-nationalist are destroying the very fabric of it. Nationalism is devotion to one’s own ethos (character, sentiments, moral nature, or guiding beliefs) and concern for its defense, frequently compared or contrasted with patriotism, which is devotion to one’s own country. Nationalism is closely related to patriotism, the only difference has been commented upon by Emma Goldman (An American known for her political activism, writing and speeches) as “The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does, the first attitude creates a feelings of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance A system that recruits the passion and pride of nationalism by giving some credit or at least paying lip services to traditionalists is nothing but a pseudo -nationalism. Stand up for those values which are deeply embedded in our cultural ethos. Can an oordinary Indian afford to show ‘anger’ at a regime that feels no compunction in launching FIRs for standing up for the constitutionally mandated rights. Let us differentiate between nationalist and pseudo-nationalists:
o Pseudo-nationalists are those who ignore real problems in the name of promoting nationalism.
o Nationalism cannot become a reason to stifle dissent and debate that is the hall mark of a vibrant democracy.
o To conflate any critique of the government or the state with anti-nationalism is to devalue nationalism. The conflict between democracy and nationalism should never arise in a mature republic.
Nationalism cannot become a reason to cynically deflect attention from matters of concern of citizens. To run with the Tri-color away from legitimate issues relating to failure in governance. In this way expecting to silence the critics, is an expedient attempt to overreach ineptitude, inequality and mal-governance.
We have to restrain our self from invocation of pseudo-and ultra nationalism as who openly take its refuge to target the minorities, religious sections etc. India’s legitimate sense of ‘nationalism’ is imbedded in a multi-cultured, multi-religious, plurality. This vibrant plurality is the glue that holds our country together. All the people of India are participants in this shared sense of nationalism. So any attempt by any group to claim a monopoly on nationalism by doubting the nationalistic bona fides of the others is nothing but an infected thought.
Concluding I will like to cite Rudyard Kipling “Nationalism is a state of mind permeating the large majority of the people and claiming to permeate all its members; it recognises the nation-state as the ideal form of political organization and the nationality as the source of all creative cultural energy and well being. The supreme loyalty of man is therefore due to his nationality, as his own life is supposedly rooted in and made possible by its welfare”. So better the society, better the nation and it enhances the nationalism, but at the top we have to shed our pseudo-nationalism and have to restrain from ultra-nationalism, so that our generation does not come up with this type of congenital ideology. We are required to create such saunas where our pseudo nationalism and ultra-nationalism wasps out to create a space in our thinking of real nationalism. So better to keep the lips glued and shut down the doors of your feelings and expressions closed, if you want to escape from being branded as anti-national in this era of pseudo-nationalism and ultra-nationalism.
(Concluded)