Bharatiya consciousness holds a ‘national’ (Rashtriya) sentiment, not ‘nationalistic’ (Rashtrawadi).

Dr. Manmohan Vaidya

Bharat and the entire world are witnessing the metamorphosis of Bharat. Fundamental changes brought about in the foreign, defence and economic policies of the country have made this possible. Amendments in the defence and foreign policies have instilled renewed vigour among Bharatiya defence forces. The world is now looking to us as a credible voice. Consequently more and more countries are stepping up to support our views and join collaborative hands with us. Recently Bharat was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, but what makes this honour especially rewarding is the fact that 184 countries  among the 193 countries that cast votes supported us.

Bharat’s appeal to adopt International Yoga Day with the aim to further the holistic well-being of mankind was welcomed by all member countries at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. We have spearheaded the movement for International Solar Alliance. Bharat’s leap toward development, growth and empowerment will prove to be a boon to all of mankind and even nature, because our world-view values dialogue, not contention and integration, not competition. Not merely human life, our ancient philosophical foundation encapsulates views of the well-being of man as well as all other life forms- small or big. “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम” (the world is my family) and  “सर्वेपि सुखिनः सन्तु”  (may all be blissful) are the guiding values of our life-system since time immemorial.The fact that overvaluing self-interest is not a component of our DNA is what sets us apart from other civilizations.

The economic policy of the country requires further reforms, however, altering the scenario while the wheel is still in spin is not a simple task. Bharatiya government’s efforts to bring in economic reforms in the background of the pandemic-induced economic slowdown have become evident. But the resolution to realign a seventy-year-old system requires courage, foresight and decisiveness on the part of the overseers and patience and consistent collective efforts on the part of the society. Conceived in the light of our all-encompassing worldview of oneness with all and integration these schemes must take into account the current global context and be flexible to incorporate the developments of the modern era. Our country’s resolute march in this direction has commenced. Bharat is now expressing itself as it truly is in its essence and the whole world is observing this rising phenomenon. This move is natural in our eyes but offbeat to the rest of the world.

Decades-long efforts that were instrumental in ushering in this country-wide awakening have been consistently opposed and labelled as ‘nationalism’ by the communist-minded self- proclaimed intellectuals, liberals and journalists. In the true sense of the word the movement leading to this mass awakening is ‘national,’ not ‘nationalism.’ The word ‘nationalism’ featured neither in Bharatiya vocabulary nor in Bharatiya consciousness. It is the by-product of the concept of ‘nation-state’ of the Western liberal democracies. Those countries are nationalistic. They forced two World-Wars upon the world. Their nationalism is rooted in their capitalistic ideological past. And the now oft-discussed ‘super-nationalism’ is a manifestation of Communism. Russia’s unsuccessful, coercive attempts of slapping its half-baked Communist economic model in the faces of Eastern European and Central Asian countries are etched in human memory. Along similar lines China’s expansionist agenda and dictatorial tendencies have become common knowledge with Chinese troops audaciously barging into Hong-Kong and other South Asian countries. An estimated 41 lac sq km area belonging to six different countries is annexed by China and it is involved in disputes with 27 countries across the world. Increasingly more and more countries of the world are mobilising to tackle Chinese imperialism or super-nationalism.

Bharatiya consciousness holds a ‘national’ (Rashtriya) sentiment, not ‘nationalistic’ (Rashtrawadi). We are national, not nationalistic. For this very reason Sangh(RSS) is “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” and not “Rashtrawadi Swayamsevak Sangh.” Setting nationalism in motion is not our motive. Bharatiya concept of ‘Rashtra’  is based on our view-of life, where people (Lok), not the state, define the ‘Rashtra’. People of this country, that speak different languages and dialects, wear separate caste titles as their identities and worship diverse deities, all subscribe to a spirituality-based, holistic and integral view-of-life. Deep entrenchment of this view-of-life in our psyche gives rise to a feeling of affinity with all members of the society and fosters a bond with the whole landmass that we inhabit. Adopting and adapting to this time-tested eternal view of life,  appropriating it according to the present- day scenario and manifesting the “self” in all walks of social and national life is being ‘national’ about Bharat. To rekindle the adherence to this heritage of ours and invoking the bonds of brotherhood to motivate selfless service to the society is the key to awakening the national sentiment of Bharat. Seamless expression of this nationality in all social domains is akin to rearrangement and self-expression of the country. Realising and promoting the emergence of the ‘self’ of a country should not be misconstrued as ‘nationalism.’

Recent clashes between China and Bharat where the Indian Army’s gallant efforts successfully ousted the enemy from our rightful land were dubbed ‘super-nationalism’ by the Communists. The fact of the matter is that the Communist lobby has time and again failed to comprehend the heart of the ‘self’ of Bharat. And that which is becoming apparent in this current context is not some form of nationalism. It actually is the true identity of our country that has been long denied and suppressed. With “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम” (the world is my family) and  “सर्वेपि सुखिनः सन्तु”  (may all be blissful) as the bedrocks of our civilization, the resurgence of our identity and the emphasis over self-reliance and self-sufficiency ought not to be perceived as the clarion call for war. It is the plain reawakening of a long-established consciousness.

Vehement opposition to the emergence of this selfhood of Bharat within the country of its origin is not new. Upon completing the merger of Junagadh princely state into the newly independent country of India, the then home-minister, Shri Vallabhbhai Patel visited the Somnath temple. He was deeply saddened to see Somnath  [one among the twelve revered Jyotirlingas (symbol of eternal radiance)] in ruins. Free from the clutches of foreign rules and rulers he resolved to resurrect the sight and restore its  glory in independent Bharat. He appointed Shri Kanhaiyalal Munshi, a cabinet minister in the Nehru-led government  to translate the idea into action. When Patel confided his plans in Gandhi he supported the plan on the condition that the project be crowd-funded, not state-funded. Obligated by this condition the project was accomplished using only crowd-funds. Dr. Rajendra Prasad who was the president of the country at the time presided at the Prāṅa Pratiṣṭha pooja of the temple. His address to the country from the ceremony is noteworthy.

However, Pandit Nehru was against this move. An event in our history which to illustrious leaders of the country like Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Kanhaiya Lal Munshi and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was a proud moment was antagonised in the name of “Hindu revivalism” by Prime Minister Nehru. This illuminates the fact that the suppression and denial of the true identity of our country dates back a bygone era. However leaders with a national mindset were well represented in Congress party, then. It is for this very reason that this restoration task could be accomplished. But gradually a strategic methodology to push such people to the fringe of political leadership of the country was adopted and Congress party became an apparition of Communism. Communism discarded the very notion of spirituality.  Not only spirituality, it is even opposed to the idea of a country. Since its inception it has been a representative of the colonial mindset of capitalism. The erstwhile Soviet Union and the modern-day Chinese regimen too are reflections of the same expansionist, dictatorial psyche, therefore, they are unable to comprehend the self-expression of Bharat. It is quite possible that they want to push their agenda of countering the unifying process of the entire nation resulting in bickering of the people in small groups, ultimately weakening the country.

How do we discharge our moral obligation towards our country in such a scenario? A clear and succinct guide to this inquiry emerges from the essay ‘Swadeshi Samaj,’ penned by Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur in 1904. Gurudev Thakur was indeed unsympathetic to the idea of nationalism. But his opposition was directed at colonialism and the western nation-states that erupted as a consequence of the two world wars. However his motion of favour for the self-expression of Bharat as a nation is evident through his writing. He writes –

“We have fully understood today that, just by lying low, we cannot protect ourselves. The only way of self-protection is to evoke and direct our innate strength in every possible direction. This is the rule of the Creator. The English would continue to control our minds until we come out of our stagnancy and start working for ourselves. Sitting on the fence and constantly ruing imminent ruination would yield nothing.

Aping the English in every sphere and disguising ourselves in an attempt to survive is nothing but self-treachery. We can never become truly English by mimicking them, nor can we stall them by becoming their inauthentic clones. Our intellect, our heart, our values are all being auctioned off at throwaway prices every day. The only way to prevent it from happening is by embracing who we actually are- consciously, strongly, actively, and completely.”

“Our stored vigour will be unleashed in the face of the blows from a foreign nation, because the time has come for it to fulfil its purpose in this world. The potency created by ancient seers through austerities is priceless; and it is not destined to lie unused. That is the reason why God has ordained the indolent Bharat to undergo difficulties, so that it may be awakened.”

“To experience unity in diversity and to establish unity amongst variety—this  is the inherent Dharma (the spirit) of Bharat. Bharatvarsh never interpreted diversities as hostility and, neither considers the outsider as an  enemy.

As Bharatvarsh possesses this trait, we would never get frightened by visualizing any society as our opponent. With every new dissension, we inevitably will grow. The Hindu, Bauddha, Muslim and Christian would not fight with each other and die in Bharat. Rather they would find a balance, a meeting point here. This balance will not be non-Hindu, but very specifically Hindu. However foreign may be its body parts, its life and spirit will be Bharatiya.”

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“If we believe that this arrangement for Bharat is divinely ordained, we will be able to focus our vision, overcome our embarrassment, as well as locate the undying force in Bharat. We will have to remember that we will not be obliged to forever be in the position of a learner with respect to European erudition and science. The stream of knowledge in Bharat is going to integrate these divergent strands of knowledge and their mutual conflicts and contests, and develop them into a lotus of hundred petals; thereby removing their separateness. The renowned scholar of Bharat Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose has made a tremendous contribution in bringing physics, biology and botany within the same disciplinary fold. It is only a matter of time before he could bring in psychology and consciousness within the same scientific fold too. The principal goal of Bharatiya mind is to bring about this integration. Bharat does not support the doctrine of leaving anyone behind. One day, Bharat will show the way to the world characterized by feuds and distance, of how to acknowledge all, accept all, as well as accord and preserve a distinct significance of each part in the larger integrated whole.

Prior to the dawn of that glorious day, do call out to the nation once, as Mother! She is the mother who is always engaged in bringing all the countrymen closer to each other, dispelling their differences, nurturing and protecting us; and tirelessly infusing the wisdom preserved in her treasure to protect our souls from deprivation during the long nights of subjugation.” (Swadeshi Samaj)

The time to rekindle the spiritual essence of Bharat and to allow its blossoming has come. This divinely ordained process has commenced with the blessings of the Almighty. No matter how hard the deniers of this identity push or how much Bharat-opposing foreign forces try, the Bharatiya people have made their resolution explicit a few years back. “We are silent worshippers of the idea of global-welfare” is how successive generations of workers who have been tirelessly invested in the task of reawakening our consciousness, devoid of temptations of fame are addressed. Their efforts will undoubtedly reap sweet fruits of success. Setting aside our political and other vested interests and contributing in the re-emergence and re-establishment of the true identity of Bharat is what the nation expects of us in this historic moment.

Writer is RSS Sah Sarkaryavah