Are we really ushering in a phase of New India as claimed by the right core government of today? And whether patriotism as conceived by the right core government can be made operative in the backdrop of the false dichotomy sought to be created by the state between citizens of India on their misconceived notion of patriotism sans historical facts? Patriotism must be understood in the perspective of the hoary historical past and the present developing phase of society with accentuated antagonistic interests of the two major communities due to faulty approach of the right reactionary government in imposing Hindu chauvinistic policies on the other community. In dealing with the issue of patriotism it cannot be forgotten that our Indian society is historically more sub divided on the lines of different communities professing different religions rather than class antagonism.
During Indian independence movement under the leadership of Indian National Congress (presently right reactionary elements adorning the seat of leaving India successfully sowed the bug of communal hatred between the two communities to sub serve its imperialistic designs and the present right reactionary government, instead of resolving this issue of hatred spread by the imperialistic power, is further fomenting the same policy of communal hatred by thrusting its erroneous policies of chauvinism and ethnocentricism on the other community to realize its reactionary goal.
Patriotism is a moral and political principle and social feeling whose content is love for one’s homeland, devotion to it, pride for its past and present and readiness to defend its interest. Historically the elements of patriotism such as attachment to one’s native land, traditions and language have their roots in the time torn past. In an antagonistic society patriotism acquires a community character, for every community expresses its own attitude to homeland through its particular interest. Under capitalism as nation and nation states are formed patriotism becomes an organic component of social consciousness.
As our Indian society continued to develop community antagonism also went on aggravating and contradictory nature of patriotism came to fore: with the domination of right reactionary policies patriotism has ceased to reflect the aspirations of the whole nation as was the case during independence movement. It has now been reduced to the narrowed interest of right reaction and fused with nationalism and chauvinism. For the right reactionary forces patriotism is marked by its national narrow mindedness and egoism because the attitude of the chauvinists to its homeland is determined by narrow selfish interests and not by requirements of integrated social progress keeping in view the time tested national ethos of Sarva Dharma Sambhav meaning thereby equal treatment to all communities in accordance with their own religious traditions.
Madhukar Rao,
Sr. Advocate
Supreme Court of India