what are the role of icons and symbols in nationalism in India? (5 marks - 5 points)
Answers
1) History, fiction, folklore, songs, prints, symbols and icons also played a major role in the making of Nationalism in India.
2) The identity of Nation is most often symbolized in a figure or image and nationalist feelings aroused among the people when they saw nation as an image, the Bharat Mata.
3) This image personification was associated in 20th century but it was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay who in 1870s wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ – a hymn to motherland.
4) As Swadeshi movement spread in India, this image was painted by Abanindranath Tagore who portrayed Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure who is calm, divine and spiritual. This devotion came to b seen as evidence of one’s nationalism.
5) During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolor flag (red, green and yellow) was designed. It had 8 lotuses that represented 8 provinces of British India, and a crescent moon that represented Hindus and Muslims.
6) In 1921, Gandhiji designed Swaraj flag which had 3 colours – red, green and white and a spinning wheel in the centre that represented Gandhian ideal of self – help. Carrying this flag by holding it aloft, during marches or processions became a symbol of self – defiance.
7) Thus, it is evident that icons and symbols played a vital role in unifying people and inspired in them the feeling of nationalism
Answer:
The article embeds the arguments of cultural theory and art history in a political science framework, in order to explain the construction of national identities. In comparing the French national allegory Marianne and her Indian counterpart Bharat Mata, the authors set out to trace the conceptual development of the icons, the psycho-history underlying their ongoing formative processes and their strategic function as signifiers that reinforce national identity. The conceptual prism of icon-ising, as one learns from this comparative analysis is what makes the study of processes of cultural negotiation, and an exploration of their impact on identity-formation possible.
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