Randomized Thoughts

We should be proud of our country. We should protect the integrity and sovereignty of our republic. I bet every person in this world would have heard of their responsibilities towards building their nation. Much would have been said and heard about their country and its founding fathers. Here in India there is so much said about how Mahatma Gandhi through his sheer power of non-violence moved this country from gloom to brightness. Nationalism is rooted into out DNA in almost all phase of life. JFK's words "Ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" epitomizes the idea of nationalism. Every citizen should pitch in and contribute to national building. He/she should feel proud of their mother land.

I have to admit I was one of those who believed in all this. Until I got to think about it after 26th November, Mumbai attacks.

Let me give few cases to convey my message

Case A
Consider a remote town in South Africa in the mid 1980's when Apartheid was the norm in the land. A white kid in those times would have been told to be proud of being a WHITE. He/she is superior than a black kid because he belongs to a more divine race.
Case B
A group of teenagers in some remote village in Pakistan are recruited by some terrorist outfit whose main aim is to cause harm to any other communities which does not recognize their faith as the undisputed law. These teenagers are trained and constantly reminded of being proud of being a Muslim and a Jihadi.
Case C
Group of soldiers of Israel army are trained to cause maximum damage to any of Israel's neighbors under order. Similarly the Palestinian group are to proud to be Palestinian and oppose foreign oppression.

My question is simple. What difference is there in the ideology of these cases.

i) when a kid is made to feel proud of being a white in South Africa (OR)
ii) when a kid is made to feel proud of being a Muslim in Pakistan (OR)
iii) when a kid is made to feel proud of being a Israeli or Palestinian

People are made to feel proud of a divide under which they fall and have been categorized. I find this disturbing. How different is "Nationalism" stripped out of all the decorations, jewelery and euphemism that surrounds it be any different from "Racism"? Is it not the same about any division asking to be patronized?

Why is the world divided like the way it is? May be men are attracted to power and money. Men need to have a sphere of influence. When some elements want to gain more power, and to protect their sphere of influence, they engineer/promote a divide. For example division based on faith, language, state, race etc are engineered to satisfy only a handful of people who gain power, recognition and may be money out of it. Kids are easily influenced by the surrounding and so are easy targets. If a conducive environment to propagate this kind of partisan feeling are established, any kid groomed in that kind of environment would would certainly believe what is told.

State, religious outfits, political parties want to establish and maintain this divide to exist and thrive. I am not saying we should turn a blind-eye to all these divisions. A black kid is black and a white kid is white, because there is a division in race through natural cause. Why should the community recognize this division? A Muslim is different from Christian who is different from a Hindu only on the basis of faith. Why should there be a need for a political party based on faith/race/language/caste? On one had we say that all races are equal. But on the other hand we are made to be feel proud of our mother country. Isn't this contradictory? Why should I feel proud to be an Indian? Why can't I just feel proud to be what I am as a person and nothing more?

Why is the world not Ideal? I wonder if it ever was (ideal) and it can ever be...