I’m not a patriot/nationalist.
I know, old news, who cares? Well apparently, a lot of people! Born and brought up in Delhi by relatively open minded parents, religion and politics have never really been a talking point in our house, or a bone of contention even. Everyone was encouraged to worship or not worship anyone, vote for Congress or BJP, go to the temple, not go to the temple, there was no compulsion to do anything. My mom would try to get me and my brother to be religious, no non-vegetarian food/alcohol on Tuesdays or Navratras, but my Dad was an atheist. He would go out and have all this without telling mom and that’s what my brother and I also started doing. My mom would get angry whenever she used to find out, but laugh it off eventually as our childish behaviour.
Then, something changed, not in my house, but in the general environment around me. I attribute it BJP coming to power, but there could be other reasons as well.
I got married sometime back, married into a house where a few people were fiercely pro-BJP (I’m not pro any political parties as such), a house where religion was fiercely followed. Don’t get me wrong, I love them as much or more than my own family, but suddenly, I was surrounded by people with strong beliefs in things that I had never found myself even thinking about.
Though people might attribute this change to my wedding, this change was in the general environment around me. Mr Modi got elected as the Prime Minister of our country 5 months after my wedding, and I, for the first time, found myself embroiled in intense, heated discussions about politics, morality, right and wrong and what not.
Suddenly, all the discussions around me became about politics, and as a result of that — religion. At home, at work, at dinners, everyone had an opinion (and, rightly so), but people with Pro-BJP opinions could not tolerate anything said against their beloved Mr Modi. Suddenly if I had a strong opinion agaisnt BJP or Modi, there would be personal attacks at me, my beliefs and my opinions. For me, all my life, religion and politics had been 2 separate albeit unwanted entities.
Suddenly, religion and politics had merged into one huge powerball, overshadowing every discussion, every decision, every situation in our country.
The discussions ranged from sensible logic-based ones to the most ridiculous discussions possible like why should you not kill someone who eats a cow. A cow. Yes. Educated people defending lynching. Educated people thinking that it’s a sin to eat beef because — ‘Cow humari maata hai’
I had never thought of myself as non-patriotic till now; nationalism was not a word in my dictionary. I, in fact, would always defend my country in front of friends who would always bash India, I would get up in the morning on 26th July to watch the Republic Day parade, I would try to convince people to not shift outside and try to make India a better place (thank you- Rang de Basanti). But when all this happened, when BJP came to power, when Hinduism became a must-have title, I found myself distancing from this new concept of patriotism.
Suddenly everyone was wearing patriotism like a badge of honour, taking offence at the tiniest possible things, defending their country and religion left, right and centre. Why? What is it that we have achieved as Indians that you lot are so proud of? You got offended when the Snapchat CEO called us a poor country, have you taken a look around? We are a f****n poor country! What else would he call us?
For me, patriotism was always about loving your country, not proving that you love your country. It was always about respecting your country, but not killing someone who disrespects it. It was always about doing something for the betterment of your country, but not dissing everyone who doesn’t do the same.
I remember this 1 debate that I had with someone, it was about killing in the name of your country/religion, and that person was defending this viewpoint. His stance was, if someone abuses your mother or throws stones at your house, will you stand by and watch or will you do something? Honestly, I don’t get it? Are you equating my mum/family with my country? Because they’re not equal, I was born in India, but I don’t love it as much as I love my mother or my family. How can geographic territories be the same as human beings and relationships?
To recap, Hindu Indians have 3 mothers — their own mother, India, all cows..bhai, kis kis ke liye ladoge? Save your emotions and waves of anger to defend your real mother!
That simple point, that people and morality matter more than my country is what got me branded as an anti-nationalist. Is that so wrong? I don’t think so; I’m proud to be an anti nationalist! And honestly, I think our ancestors would be proud of me too.
The sad fact is that for a majority of the people in our country, religious beliefs, eating habits and geographical boundaries have in fact become more important than actual lives.
My only point here is, does it really matter where you’re born? Does it really matter if you love your country or not, as long as you’re a good human being? Are geographical boundaries really more important than human lives?
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