The Conundrum of “You and I”



I thought I would skip this one, that I wouldn't speak my opinion on the JNU event. For one, I am tired of the political games played to distract people from the real issues our country is facing. Secondly- and this one is the defining one- I was confused about where I stood on this. I have always believed that I am a true patriot, but not a nationalist by definition. I love my country, but I don't blindly believe in its superiority. In the last few days, however, I had started to question that very thing about myself. Mainly because of the fact that a lot of people I respect and care about have turned out to be self-proclaimed nationalists. And, for that reason, I did what I always do in times of self-doubt: I turned to Rabindranath Tagore. For me, his thoughts on the world, nations, society, people, and emotions are the defining ones. But, that's just me; you don't have to. Yet, I hope, you are aware of the fact that there is nothing in this world that man didn't think about or hadn't had his opinions written on (once someone had challenged me to this by asking for Tagore's words on an upset stomach. I presented to him Shudhu Jaoa Asa, Shudhu Shrote Bhasa).

And, sure enough, I came across his essay, Nationalism in India. If you have some free time then do read it. He has some compelling arguments to support his views on the idea of nationalism: We, the Indians, can never truly become a country that practices nationalism. Among all of his statements, there was a particular one that made the most sense to me, mostly because of the sheer fact that it shows how, even after all these decades between his time and ours, nothing has changed. Not borrowing his words, let me tell you the basic ideology of it: We are a country that still measures its people by their individual religious views and their place on the social ladder. We still believe in the idea of "us" and "them", and, therefore, we can never become a nation that is the best in the world. And, if India is not the best country in the world, then believing that it is (which is the very definition of nationalism) is nothing but a practice of escapism, living in a fantasy world to spare yourself from the tortures of reality.

I try and restrain myself from coming across as a person with a holier-than-thou position. I respect everyone's opinion, no matter how different they are from mine. In most cases, your truth is as much legitimate as my truth. However, that very drill of mine makes me an anti national in your eyes, because I don't believe a person should be jailed for expressing his anger towards the country he lives in. Why do I have to be an anti national person just because I don't have nationalist views? Why does it have to be one or the other? No, I don't believe India is the best land in the world. Yes, I am still a patriot because I love my country, even though my idea of A Country is very different from the nationalists. It had changed when the ten-year-old Me first held in his hand a small globe. The entire world was mine, and India seemed a very real but undistinguished part of the great land that floats on the oceans. I didn't see competition between the portions we have- by playing God- divided into nations.


However, it made sense to me of having responsibilities towards the land I was born on. I believe strongly that every individual must work hard to make his surroundings better, and, by doing so, change our home, the world. But, why would I believe that somehow the people and the places under one sky would ever need to act as individual entities and feel the urge to compete? That was the day it became sure that I would never turn into a person who believes in nationalism. But that doesn't matter, does it? If I stand by someone who is being tortured for exercising his right of expression, then I must be tagged as an anti national person, then I must be accused of sharing his beliefs. I want to be clear of this part: I don't support the words that defame a country; by no means will I ever declare a war against the land I was born on. However, I also want to make it absolutely clear that I will spend my life to protect everyone's right to have personal beliefs and the freedom to express her or his thoughts. For that very reason, I completely support your right to express anger against anyone who hurt your nationalist views, but I can't, in a good sense, stand by idly when someone is physically tortured or jailed for opinions that are personal to her or him. You can, by all means, oppose an idea, engage in the war of words with the person with opposing views, or even verbally abuse him- if that soothes you- but you can never ever put the person behind bars or hurt his flesh. No, sir. Why is your patriotism so fragile?

And why would you? Why is it easier to stop opposing views by force than to try and understand why those views were born? Even if you can't sense the political games played to blow the JNU incident out of proportion, even if you have selectively ignored the proofs that free the accused of all charges, why on earth won't you just once try to see the world through the accused person's eyes? Is it because that will expose you to the possibility of questioning your own views: The umbrella of illusions that you so dearly hold over your head on your country's rainy days? If it is so then it’s time to realize that you are the one who is hurting our country. Be ignoring its shortcomings, you are escaping your duties to help it get better. Your nationalist views are turning you into an anti nationalist.

And you may question me for using “you” and “me” in my expressions, but you have already declared me an anti national, remember? I, at least, accept that. Why won’t you? Perhaps, we live in different India. You live in the one that requires you to protect its image that you, yourself has drawn on the earth with your borders. I live in the one that requires me- in my own ways- to help it and its people to improve. My India doesn’t have borders. Would you like to be a citizen of my country? It’s hard work, but it’s real. 


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