Chauvinism in the name of patriotism, emerging in India

Patriotism is defined as and believed to be an unfettered love and affection towards one’s motherland. It encompasses a set of concepts closely related to those of nationalism, however an excess of patriotism can lead to chauvinism, an exaggerated sense of self and a belligerent, irrational belief in the superiority or dominance of one’s own group and sect. The chauvinist’s own group is seen as unique and special, while the rest of the people are considered weak and inferior, or as outcasts.

Patriotism in India has boiled down to few set principles, like standing for the national anthem in a cinema hall or shouting slogans like “Bharat mata ki jai”, meaning “Long live Mother India”. In recent times, we are being taught patriotism by people who themselves do not know the true meaning of this word. These are the same people who regularly evade taxes, promote bribery, kill innocents, do atrocities, harass and rape women, spread communal hatred, and act as moral police, telling others what they should eat, wear and do. People in every country and in all times have expressed feelings of something we flippantly call patriotism, but can it be so cheap and meaningless that a few gestures, feelings and sentiments of a few hate-mongers make you patriotic?

As Indians, it’s our moral responsibility to inform these hate-mongers that all human beings are created equal and they should read the Indian Constitution again. If they’re from the uneducated class, they should ask someone to read it to them. All Indians are endowed not by the government, but by the Constitution of India, with certain unalienable rights. Paramount among those rights are life, equality and the pursuit of happiness.

Call it freedom or call it democracy, but it’s the bedrock on which the Indian Republic was founded, it is what has defined us as and from which we are straying away in recent times. Make life worth living and spread happiness before it’s too late.

- The reader is a head of commercial of a company based in Dubai.