A parameter for Nationalism?

Looking at the various news stories that have been emerging from India for over six months now, one wonders if there is anything news worthy or the people who are hogging the limelight are worthy of anything? In the latest of political hate stories, a case is registered against AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi over his speech wherein he had said he would not chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” even if a “knife is put to my throat”. The complaint cites that Owaisi’s “defamatory” speech would “promote enmity between different groups”. Soon, his speech went viral, and members of the legislature at Mumbai got another AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan suspended from the assembly.

Comments of such kind do do call that  attempt be made to know the reason! The two leaders in questions go on to state that the constitution doesn’t demand them to say so. They have a point. Their understanding of the constitution is minimal. Their immature statement gives an impression that for them the constitution is a “daily to do list” and anything beyond is not their national duty! Next three days, in Lok Sabha were wasted in discussing the issue, and the TV channels allotted prime time to the same and high pitched discussions took place which didn’t lead to any concrete conclusion.  

Incidents including this highlights that ever since BJP has come to power there is an effort to redefine many facets of nationality and not to forget, there is an emerging divide between communities. Earlier, we have had  “Love-Jihad”, killing for non-existing beef in a refrigerator,  “suicide” for being pressurized by the university, chants of “send them to Pakistan”, sedition cases against students and then getting reprimanded from the courts, and now slogans to define who is more nationalist.

The members of Legislature in Maharashtra had no answer to the question “under which rule and clause had they got Waris Pathan suspended”. Then the Parliamentarians and soon the channels went into discussions that seemed like they wanted to obtain comparative rating for certain slogans.  “Bharat Mata ki Jai” or “Jai Hind” or “Jai Bharat” or “Sare jahan se achchha, one who chants is a “better nationalists” than others! While doing so, they clearly spelled out their mistaken belief-that patriotism is displayed best with loud slogans and words and not by deeds. The present Lok Sabha has the highest numbers of MPs with criminal cases against them. 34 per cent of the new MPs face criminal charges. The percentage in 2009 and 2004 stood at 30 and 24 respectively. With charges of rape, money laundering, rioting, looting registered against them, the MPs are acceptable as “Nationalist”, and consider themselves to have the right and the ability to issue those nonexistent certificates of nationalism to students, writers, actors, thinkers who raise national issues. Time has come when the government in India is made aware of the saying by Edward Abbey, “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” 

Indians and the present leadership should accept the fact that everyone has their own way of showing their love for the country and that way doesn’t have to conform to the ways that the party in power wants to be portrayed. Is that soldier a lesser nationalist who faces the bullets of enemy but doesn’t chant that slogan? Indians must let the leadership know that no one has given them the right to test other people on some hypothetical “Nationalism Meter” devised by politicians and religious believers.  

“The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously,” Julian Barnes perhaps said this in the latest context.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power with a strong assurance to Indians who were fed up with corruption ridden ministers of UPA, “We have one basic mantra that is, development, development, development. It is the solution to all problems.”  And into 2nd year of running the government hehad to reassert at the National executive meet of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) to remind his colleagues. His intention may be right considering all his good work is being undone by those uncontrolled loud mouths who want to color the country saffron. Modi’s reassertion has left Indians with the basic question. Should they read his lips or should they read the political happening coming out of his ministers and the fringe organizations’ associated with the party?