ARE WE NATIONALISTS?

“Patriotism is, fundamentally, a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it….”

--George Bernard Shaw

I have always wondered how much an Indian is a ‘Nationalist’. But to my surprise, the intensity of nationalism is the most among the common man. He lives with a dream that one day he, his children or at least the grand children will be able to live in a classless developed India. He has dream nurtured by himself to see India developed by 2020.

An average Indian is always proud of the past history of India (rich heritage, freedom fight, Nehru, Gandhi, and Independence & Industrialization). He is ignorant of the present, the massive illiteracy, unemployment, widespread corruption, mafias (land, sand, coal, and many others), the continued existence of diseases and devastating environmental issues. He struggles throughout his life to live for his family (Roti, kapda aur Makaan, a phrase much popularized by Indra Gandhi in the 60’s, an election gimmick like FSB).

The Indian nationalism of pre-independent India was the result of the continuous deprivation and misrule of the British. The British ruled India to promote their own interests. The Indians realized gradually that their interest was being sacrificed to those of British interests. This clash of interest was the root cause for the rise of  the Indian nationalist movement.

Time again, for a nationalist movement in post-independent India. The cause for it will be the denial of the political right of the citizens in their own country by the politicians. The politicians are behaving like the imperial rulers. They are enjoying their life with the money paid as tax by the common man. There is no security for life and property in our own country. Everything is manipulated for their convenience. Law’s are not made generally for ‘Indians’, it’s made for each section of the people, according to their convenience (vote bank politics of ‘divide and rule’).

People should refrain themselves from the ugly ways of protesting, like destroying public properties and disturbing normal life (‘Bandh/Harthaal’). The public know that the protests are carried out by the political labourers paid by the political parties; still we are unable to react to such atrocities. Let’s look forward for a better way to protest, where there is no harm for each other, but win for our rights.