Hellow all, today there is something different from what I write generally.My topic for today is nationalism.Yesterday when I was watching the'madras cafe'movie, these thoughts which were silently roaming in my mind started jumping out.They posed a question to me -"is the Nation for its people or people for its nation?"These series of thoughts just broke all my conviction on patriotism, which was groomed carefully from my childhood.
PEOPLE, FOR THE NATION:
To answer the question that puzzled me is not so simple.It requires a contextual understanding of the topic of nationalism.Nation-a utopian Concept, though, holds a high place in the hearts and minds of people.There are people like the army men whose patriotism is undoubted.However, this concept of nationalism when interpreted in a wrong way lead to the severest of Human crisis-world wars.It was ultranationalism that engulfed the humanity of Europe especially the Italians and Germans.It is that concept of national pride that is asking people to sacrifice things for the well-being of the nation these days.Narrow walls of nationality are, I feel hindering the growth of universal citizenship and greater human cause.
PEOPLE ARE THE NATION:
When countries fight with each other there is a huge loss to humanity.At the end, those who bear the brunt of wars is the army and civilians.Let it be the struggle of LTTE, more Kashmir issue or now the ISIS crisis, who is getting dirtier? not the policy makers in faraway lands who have every capability and will to play with lives and make things murkier but it is that young generation which will we deprived of a promising future, it is those helpless girls forced into worst of the atrocities and it is those soldiers holding their hearts filled with patriotism.
Patriotism, promoting it is fine but what I understood is this-Be a patriot, bow before humanity, defend your people but never mask that great ideal with terror, war, and hatred.PATRIOTISM IS TO SERVE HUMANITY NOT TO DESTROY IT.
