Democracy upholds the freedom to take a stand. The judgment by Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy orders all Indians to stand when the national anthem is played in theatres before a movie starts. Democracy is also about choice. Critics howl that the judiciary is shoving patriotism down citizens’ throats. Is it?
The lofty opinion of the paean’s author Rabindranath Tagore on humanity’s precedence over patriotism is being dusted off the shelves to justify why the court order contradicts individual choice. Nonsense. Excepting arthritis, there is nothing inhumane about standing up for the national anthem. Besides, Tagore just wrote the song. He did not pen it as India’s freedom song. Before it was adopted as such, Vande Mataram was a favourite. Hence, it is advisable to let Tagore’s opinion on patriotism slide because it is not relevant in this case.
India is, the last time I looked, still a democracy where debates are allowed to fly fast and furious. Terms in vogue are nationalism, patriotism and jingoism. They jostle each other in the thesaurus of the national conversation; sometimes shuffled around for political convenience. Or used by leaders to drive home a rhetorical point. Mostly, they are misunderstood. The furore over the judgment reflects the prevailing fear that nationalism is driving an arbitrary agenda for India.
Nationalism is an emotion that embraces the cultural heritage of a nation and the historical ethos of its people. It precedes and precludes politics. It doesn’t need popular affirmation to exist. Its geographic cognizance is timeless. Patriotism is when people have met their promise to their country. It is not a medal of citizenship.
It is a deep emotional and intellectual covenant between the people of a country with a defined cartographic identity and its manifest destiny. Jingoism is the ugly mutation that borrows its birth juice from both of the above. It is a populist principle fueled by hate, intolerance and demands blind obedience to its version of national commitment. A nationalist is a patriot who is guided by history. A jingoist is a parody of a patriot.
Nationalism does not presuppose allegiance—a nationalist simply is. Allegiance is an uncompromising hallmark of the patriot. The jingoist’s allegiance, however, is only to himself and his agenda.
Hence, honouring Jana Gana Mana is not judicial jingoism. Tagore’s poem sings of an India that encompasses its then, now and forever. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravid, Odisha and Bengal represent its enduring mosaic. The song invokes eternal India through its homage to the sacred identity of the Vindhyas and the lofty wisdom of the Himalayas; the evocative Indian-ness of the Jamuna and the Ganges, all of which, are encompassed by the Indian Ocean.
Jana Gana Mana is a salutation to the idea of India. It is to defend this idea that our soldiers stand vigil on the borders, and die in obscure villages in Kashmir and the Northeast. It is to fuel its living power that Indian IT dominates global tech. It is to celebrate its spirit that our sportspersons exult in triumphs and endure heartbreak in defeat. It is in its name that ordinary Indians stand in queues for days for a few rupees. It represents the everyday poetry of India. There is no human rights angle to standing up for India. Get off that chair. Or high horse, whatever. Move your ass.
Ravi Shankar
ravi@newindianexpress.com