Nationalism did not give birth to one national society or state. There was always an illusion that nationalism had invented the nation. This illusion of nationalism has deceived many theorists and sociologists. The reality is that the economic front stagnated with problems of illiteracy, poverty, population explosion, unemployment, etc.
It created a whole group or litter of communities and states. These states were differentiated based on language, region, religion or caste. India with nationalism had seemed to become a powerful state system instead of a nation-state. Nationalism had ushered a modern socio-politico society in India, which was bound to be glued together by emotions and were not limited by the hierarchies of power. The people seemed to have programmed or wired so that they knew this was a tradition.
When talking of nationalism in India, two terms always come to the Indian mind- Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress. Gandhi’s reputation as the saviour of the oppressed is overrated, which brings to the point that the state did create a sense of unity inside the minds but also it was hard-wired thoughts that the people need to stand together otherwise, they would be termed anti-national.
It was the secular mindset in people that have kept them going. But Gandhi infused a lot of religion in whatever movement he was involved in, slowly killing the secular part of our country. Nationalism had a new definition by then, which included a Hindu majority and vulnerability of the Muslims.
In a country like India, everything needs to be analyzed and sometimes overanalyzed. This helps make certain decisions related to expression or information easier. The grey area in the country is its weakness, and people should know how to play on that ground. Survival depends on peace, and that comes from mutual understanding.
