Question

Write an Essay on topic - National Identity and Patritism

Answer 1

Balanced,rational and healthy feeling of patriotism is necessary for the healthy ,sustainable and progressive life of the nation.patriotism dependent on national identity(NI) and also promotes it.NI like any other identity is a social political construct so have its own constraint.It is extraneous.

NI and Patriotism have deep relation, more correctly if NI is not well formed then Patriotism  is difficult to be found in state's subjects.

How NI Is formed 

Politics is the main medium through which NI is formed.Politics uses shared history,commonality of culture and ethnicity .Dialogue between past and present.Dependent on contemporary politics .Eg When BJP formed the government in 1998 then it changed the content of NCERT book to glorify Hindu nation and Hindu ideology. British Rule came out with different version of history which served their interest.Pakistan,India and Bangalore -all three countries shared the same history but differently taught in each country.Though ideally state should stay away from academia. Subnational identities can promote secessionist tendencies.tendencies. Demagogues ,rabblerousers can use such NI's for political gains.Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrels.

Democratic ,inclusivist and minority rights respecting open political space for expression of all shades of opinion and such a political system leads to development of healthy ans all comprising NI which is good for Nation and civic life.

NI ,patriotism and nationalism

Too much extreme patriotism leads to Nationalism which further transform into Nazism and Fascism.Even Rabindranath tagore in his essay on 'Nationalism' ,ahs no hesitation in condemning it. He call it 'the organised self interest of a whole people and self idlolatory.Presently existence of large no. of artificial states like Africa,south Asia,City states(Hongkong,Taiwan,Kuwait etc) can not have balanced spirit of Patriotism among its citizen though can be mobilized by Politicians having narrow  or vested interests.These artificial states are hotbed for superpower rivalry and for them it is very difficulty to maintain security ,territorial integrity and national interest.In these states nationalism evaporated as reaction to interference of superpower and antagonistic to the same.

Origin of Nattionalism /Nation can be refer to 'westphalian Treaty'(1648) and the French Revolution(1789). The reasons of origin were given as Security of the state so to make society a fighting machine through centralisation of power.
Patriotism and Nationalism ,though both use National Identity but there is difference in purpose.Patriotism is incipient,implicit spirit evolved gradually for national solidarity ,collectiveness and national interest.but it seems the contemporary Nationalism is like a hot air blowing with a certain cause,usually against Internationalism.