“Nationalism is a word that has nothing to do with a nation. It is the product of an imaginary society,” said historian M.G.S. Narayanan, delivering the first of his five-day-long lecture series on nationalism here on Monday.
In an hour-long lecture, Mr. Narayanan dissected various factors that contributed to nationalism, including religion, language and State boundaries, and how it had evolved in India. “The Indian Independence and the Partition are one and the same. Gandhi had no voice in independent India.”
Suppression
Kingdoms and religious faiths were kept afloat for centuries through suppression of those who did not comply with their edicts, he said, citing the example of the Roman Empire where Christians were persecuted for not bowing to Caesar and witch burning in Europe at a time. Ironically, the empire gradually accepted Christianity as its official religion and some of the burnt witches like Joan of Arc later became legends.
The Indian National Congress, which had a major role in forming the Indian nationalist identity, was in fact formed by a British man to support the British government and to recruit more Indians into the Indian Civil Services. Even Mahatma Gandhi was once an ardent supporter of the British rule of law, the historian said.
On the other hand, Karl Marx who advocated internationalism was ignorant of the rise in nationalism in his own country. The Nazi party survived on nationalist sentiments. And Marxism did not survive in the way Marx wanted it to. Lenin, in the name of reforming it, actually destroyed it, Mr. Narayanan added.
The lecture series titled ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is being organised by the Padabhedham initiative at the Police Club in Kozhikode. Topics related to evolution of nationalism, national anthem, national flag, Hindu and Hindutva will be discussed in the coming days.
