Nationalism – National Flag, National Anthem and National Song

Ancient India was called as Bharatavarsa meaning thereby – the country (varsa) of Bharata – Emperor Bharata, the son of Shakuntala and Dushyanta Maharaja. Further, Bharata in Sanskrit means Bha – Light and Knowledge and Rata – Devoted and hence Bharata means ‘Devoted to light/knowledge’. In view of such loaded cultural and spiritual background about our ancient country, the constitution of India in its Article 1 (1) confirmed the name of India as Bharat and the actual wording runs thus: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States” and hence Bharat is officially acknowledged as the name of our country – though the ‘sickular liberals’ do not want to acknowledge this fact – but, they want our country to be called as ‘India’ only.

Because this name of our country leads to the historical evidence that Bharat’s territories extended to a large parts of present neighboring countries which ancients called as Akhand Bharat, Leftists Leaning Literates and Sickular Hindu Hatred Mindset Liberals having appeasement mentality towards Muslims and Christians are quite averse to such facts and they are ready even to call such devout Indian Hindu nationalists as Chauvinists and Jingoists which points out to  zealous, belligerent, eccentric national loyalty with fanatical patriotism.

But the historical facts about Hindu nationalism are quite alien to such narrowism and militancy.

Bharat was the peace loving and dharmic nation and was never waged wars either to expand its territories or even to protect its borders from other warring groups. Bharat was the birth places of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Hinduism had accommodated them in Bharat – though there were frequent discourses and discussions about the theories propounded by various religions – but, no warring groups amongst them.

Hindus in Bharat had allowed Buddhists to build many massive cave temples with full support of men and materials from Hindus - sculptors, masons and other workers. Similar tolerances and support were shown to Jains and Sikhs to build their temples at Bharat by the Hindus.

Actually Buddha was Hindu Prince by birth and had become a Monk to find salvation to the miseries of Mankind and in the process, he became Buddha and Buddhism was born in Bharat – mainly preaching Ahimsa as its core theory – even denying the existence of Supreme God.

Again Asoka, Great Hindu King, embraced Buddhism and became the main propagandists of Buddhism by building Big Stupas and Massive Statues of Buddhas throughout Bharat and even in neighboring countries such as Ceylon, Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand etc. 

Bharat had completely ruined with the advent of Muslims’ invasions lasting many years. Bharat’s culture, traditions, customs, literature, temples were attacked by the various Muslims’ invaders for many years continuously.

The destructions by those Muslims were many and widespread throughout Indian continent. Muslims’ Invaders aim were to annihilate Hinduism from its soil and bring all natives whether Hindus, Jains or Sikhs under Islamic tenets and to make India an Islamic State.

Sword in one hand and Kuran in other hand, the Muslims invaders’ onslaughts on natives were well documented, apart from visual scenes of the ruins of temples throughout Bharat – particularly plunder of Nalanda Library in Bihar in the North, massive destructions of Vijayanagar Samrajya in the South and continuous destructions of Somnath Temple in Gujarat in the west, Kasi and Mathura Temples in UP in Centre would speak ever the horrors of Muslims’ Invaders.

Bharat agony had not waned. Thereafter, British came as traders and they had made Bharat as their colony and with gun in one hand and Bible in other, Bharat’s Hinduism had suffered again due to Christian missionaries for conversion with the active support of British Rule giving land, money, materials and legal support to them. Only solace in British Rule was that they had not resorted to destructions of religious places like Muslim Rulers.

It is pertinent to know that while Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism were born in Bharat that is India, Islam and Christianity were not from Indian soil. Because of this perhaps, Hinduism could well adjust and co-exist with Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, the same could not be said about the alien foreign religions of Islam and Christianity.  

But, India’s Freedom Struggle had brought both Muslims and Hindus in one umbrella called National Congress. Indian Nationalism became the focal and rallying points for both for Hindus and Muslims and others to fight together to achieve our freedom from British Rule.

But, when the British had agreed to leave India to give freedom, the Majority of Muslims in the undivided India had rallied behind Jinnah to divide India to carve out a separate Islamic Nation much against the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi who proclaimed that Division of India would happen only on his dead body. But it was Sardar Patel who had paved the ways for the freedom of India by his support to Jinnah’s proposal for the division of India.

His reasons to support the division of India are quite prophetic and practical: “The communal veto given to the Muslim League in the Mission Plan would have blocked India's progress at every stage. Whether we like it or not, de facto Pakistan already exists in the Punjab and Bengal. Under the circumstances I would prefer a de jure Pakistan, which may make the League more responsible. Freedom is coming. We have 75 to 80 percent of India, which we can make strong with our own genius. The Muslim League can develop the rest of the country.”   

If Hindu Nationalism was alive and awakened, when our Bharat was invaded by Muslims with their armies from North, then the destructions of Hindu Temples and the downfall of Hinduism might have been averted. Such Hindu Patriotism could not be blamed as Chauvinism or Jingoism, as such militant defense by the Hindus were for self respect and self defense and such sacrifices should be praised by one and all in all sincerities. But, unfortunately, this could not happen and the reasons were manifold and the entire blames were on the doors of the Hindus at that ancient time – lack of patriotism and sacrifices by the majority of the Hindus and fear for life and survival instincts. Hence the divide between Hindus and Muslims were historical and were having bloody past histories and the success or failure of future course of actions depends upon the mental outlooks of both Muslims and Hindus in many areas of conflicts.

All Hindus and Muslims who are Indian Citizens are to be true to that status and Indian Nationalism is to be binding factor amongst them. Nationalism means respecting Nation that gives them citizenship, its flag, its national anthem and its national song. Unfortunately, only in India, these are being debated, questioned and disrespected in public without protest. These actions mostly from Muslim brethrens – when being pointed out, were become more belligerent and defiant. Only in India, Indian Flags were burnt with impunity along with hoisting of Pakistani Flags atop in some pockets of India with predominant Muslim population.

The Supreme Court in 2016 had ordered all cinemas to play the national anthem in Cinema theatres for the love of the motherland. The same Supreme Court had said now in 2017 that ‘you don’t have to stand up at a cinema hall to be patriotic.’ These conflicting observations of our Apext Court had ended up with lot of avoidable debates and controversies.

India is a diverse country - diversity based on religion, caste and region. Hence, it becomes necessary to have a unifying force which can be brought about by playing the national anthem in public places like theatres etc. and this practice would instill a feeling of committed patriotism and nationalism. National Flag, National Anthem and National Song are all symbols of patriotism for any nation which one can summarize as Nationalism. 

Salutations and paying respects to such symbols of patriotism are to be embedded into the minds of all citizens of the country irrespective of religion, caste, cadre so as to protect the nation from any invasions or intrusions.  

It is more than a constitutional patriotism. Patriotism which springs from the mind rather than brain, is more powerful and lasting and India is longing to have such sustained and rejuvenated patriotism to keep its freedom safe and strong.