LIBERATING INDIAN MIND 11
BEING PATRIOTIC

It is possible to be patriotic without being vulgar in its demonstration. It is both a challenge and a fulfillment to be truly patriotic . It is so simple that most of the people fail to understand it, as they fail to understand that water is the most precious of all liquids and oxygen is as important as hydrogen for our life.” I started as if continuing the debate from the previous day.

“No, no, please do not slip into your habitual preaching mode. Yesterday you told me that I didn’t know the meaning of my country and without that I couldn’t understand the meaning of patriotism. First of all, you please explain what you meant by that.”

“We shall have to go at least 12000 to 15000 years back to understand the primeval state of the geographic delimitation of gathering areas allotted to each band of people to avoid recurrent clashed among them who earlier roamed unchecked through any terrain where food was easily available. During the season of abundance they enjoyed being together. They had fixed days and fixed locations where they met for social gaiety every year. Only during the days of scarcity they grew insensitive to the needs of others and occasionally engaged into bloody clashes. They appear to have somehow agreed mutually to divide the land.. Understandably, those areas were demarcated by natural boundaries. It was a taboo after that to overstep the boundaries. This error could cost the life of the errant. This area under control of one family or kula wherein the chief was called the kulapati.

In the course of social formations, economic progress, cultural interaction, bigger and yet bigger units emerged ultimately toaccommodate diverse groups with antagonistic interest-groups, and a bigger land mass incorporating the erstwhile deshas or countries with a ruler not ethnically or linguistically belonging to anyone of them in particular, but claiming superiority over all his peers in terms of might, wisdom, judiciousness, and/or concern for common weal. Initially such leader was elected by the assembly of the people or the eminent persons assumed to represent them, later on it became hereditary or sheer might decided who was the king. In monarchy loyalty to the king amounted to patriotism as all the other boundaries of language, ethnicity, belief and social segments were overridden by the state, whose geographical boundaries could slide back or forward according to the strength and ability of the king. The king, of course fighting to protect his throne appeared to be fighting a patriotic war specially in cases he fought to protect his territory and the people against unknown invader. In democracy the country belongs to the people, they rule themselves through their representatives and as such the concept of patriotism or loyalty to the soil changes accordingly. This, in a very crude and rude language, is the concept of the country and loyalty to it, in my limited understanding.”

He appeared silent, attentively listening to me. Once I paused for respite, he came out, “You mean the noble sentiments attached to patriotism are a mirage?”

“If I appeared to have denied that sentiment, their is some flaw either in my statement or your comprehension. But I must reiterate that the oldest idea of motherland, desha, and an
unfailing loyalty to the country has survived millennia, and the strong sentiment one has for his place of birth excels all other notions of the country or matribhumi. When a laborer having worked for the year takes leave to visit his desha we laugh as idiots without comprehending the essence of it running undisturbed thought millennia. I was amused to find Sarat Chandra calling Kolkata as a nice desha, I do not exactly remember where, but perhaps in a letter written from Myanmar (Barma). Against all odds and risks he chose finally to settle close to his village where he was treated as an outcast and a man of blemished character, with a gun and a dog to protect him. We all feel that enviable bond with our birthplace howsoever distant we are for much longer period than we spent in our village. Our social behavior vis-a-vis people of different geographical, linguistic or ethnic identities is not free from slur in a large number of cases. Only when it comes to another state or country, specially with conflicting interests, the entire state or nation rises in unison.

The second thing, that this process of formation of broader sets from unitary organisations is not limited to India. It is universal, irrespective of the limitations of their collective memories. Even in English countryside means the vulgar side.

Third, people after they settled did not remain home-bound . It was considered an act of bravery to go abroad (videsha) and earn riches there like a trader who ventures out and comes back with bounty to his own country (the village) and add to its prosperity. It was sort of victory and the earning was a booty. The term dhanajit or winner of wealth was laudable but settling abroad was sort of betrayal. Remaining home-bound was a proof of lack of competence. This is reflected in typical behavior pattern of laborers from Eastern UP and Bihar. We recall an adage condemning the home-bound ones तातस्य कूपं अयमिति ब्रुवाणा क्षारा जलाः कापुरुषाः पिबन्ति (only the week-kneed persons drank saccharine water (remain home-bound despite inconvenience) on the plea that it is our parental source of water ).

Now he showed his colors, “you keep descaling the problem so patiently that ultimately there is no problem but scales all around.”

“I know you wanted a capsulized solution which you could gulp and be satisfied that you have it all inside. I have delineated the broader outlines. But the indifference you show is a sign of fatigue and boredom. We may defer the real issue for tomorrow.”