Chapter 7: Nationalism
- During the last two centuries or more, nationalism has emerged as one of the most compelling of political creeds which has helped to shape history.
- It has united people as well as divided them
- Nationalist struggles have contributed to the drawing and redrawing of the boundaries of states and empires.
- Nationalism has passed through many phases.
- For instance, in the nineteenth century Europe, it led to the unification of a number of small kingdoms into larger nation-states.
- The process of redrawing state boundaries continues to take place, Since 1960
- We may all agree that nationalism is a powerful force in the world even today.
- It is commonly believed that nations are constituted by a group who share certain features such as descent, or language, or religion or ethnicity. But there is in fact no common set of characteristics which is present in all nations.
- A nation is constituted by belief. A nation exists when its members believe that they belong together.
- People who see themselves as a nation also embody a sense of continuing historical identity.
- Nationalists in India invoked its ancient civilisation and cultural heritage and other achievements to claim that India has had a long and continuing history as a civilisation and that this civilisational continuity and unity is the basis of the Indian nation.
- Nations identify with a particular territory. Sharing a common past and living together on a particular territory over a long period of time gives people a sense of their collective identity
- Members of a nation share a vision of the kind of state they want to build. They affirm among other things a set of values and principles such as democracy, secularism and liberalism.
- A nation is strengthened when its people acknowledge and accept their obligations to their fellow members
- Democracies need to emphasise and expect loyalty to a set of values that may be enshrined in the Constitution of the country rather than adherence to a particular religion, race or language.
- Nations, seek the right to govern themselves and determine their future development. They seek, the right to self-determination.
- The Treaty of Versailles established a number of small, newly independent states, but it proved virtually impossible to satisfy all the demands for self determination which were made at the time
- Humanity paid a heavy price for re-organising boundaries in a way that culturally distinct communities could form separate nation-states.
- Most states have more than one ethnic group and cultural community living within its boundaries………
- These communities, which were often small in number and constituted a minority within the state were often disadvantaged
- Hence, the problem of accommodating minorities as equal citizens remained
- Nationalist movements maintained that political independence would provide dignity and recognition to the colonised people and also help them to protect the collective interests of their people.
- Most national liberation movements were inspired by the goal of bringing justice and rights and prosperity to the nation
- However, it proved almost impossible to ensure that each socio-cultural group could achieve political independence and statehood.
- It becomes necessary to consider ways (Methods) by which different cultures and communities can survive and flourish within a country
- The Indian constitution has an elaborate set of provisions for the protection of religious, linguistic and cultural minorities.
- TAGORE’S CRITIQUE OF NATIONALISM :- ”Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live.”
- Today we witness many struggles for the recognition of group identities, many of which employ the language of nationalism.
- We need to remember that each person has many identities. For instance, a person may have identities based on gender, caste, religion, language, or region, and may be proud of all of them.
