Homeland & beyond

musings

We all need community affiliations, and the sense of belonging to our own nation or homeland. But, what defines a homeland? Is it ethnicity, language, religion, customs and beliefs? Where do we really belong? Monideepa Sahu attempts to find answers.

As we celebrate the 66th anniversary of India’s Independence, many of our compatriots are clamouring for divided identities. The issue of separate statehood for Telangana has reached a feverish pitch, giving a boost to similar demands elsewhere in the country. The cry for Bodoland has resurfaced, Gorkha Janamukti Morcha supporters are calling for a separate Gorkhaland, while the Codava National Council is gearing to press for an autonomous Codava Land. Will the call for a division of Uttar Pradesh build up? When everyone and their neighbours seem to be staking their claim for distinct identities, where will we stand as Indians? Will we support increasingly narrowing sub-divisions and fight among ourselves for shrinking patches of home turf? Or, shall we transcend constricted allegiances and boundaries to become not only Indians, but true citizens of the world? What defines a homeland? Is it ethnicity, language, religion, customs and beliefs? Are we Indians simply because we happened to have been born as citizens of this sovereign republic? Deep inside, do we identify ourselves more strongly as Kannadigas, Punjabis or Marathis, or according to our religious affinities? Where do we really belong?

In recent times, humanity has made rapid strides towards a global community. Yet, today, Indians are flying to foreign shores in droves, not always to open themselves to other cultures, but often to cocoon themselves within ‘little Indias’ overseas. Many prefer seeking out others from their own community and linguistic groups instead of mingling with the locals. Even within the boundaries of our own country, we prefer to associate with members of our own religious and linguistic communities. This can often happen at the exclusion of other groups. A glance through our immensely popular matchmaking websites will prove how even educated and well-placed urban Indians prefer to choose life partners based on caste, language and community affiliations.

Is insularity our answer to the wide variety of cultures our country and the world have to offer? Does some ingrained inferiority complex cause us to regress when faced with other vibrant societies, whether in our native land or abroad? Or, is it our collective memory of colonial subjugation which makes some of us withdraw into our shells? Up to the mid-20th century, nations such as England, France, Germany, USA and others were primarily interested in projecting themselves as the best and most powerful. This assertion of superiority of ‘us’ over ‘them’ has historically been at the cost of much warfare and animosity. In the past age of imperialism, powerful European nations colonised and exploited large areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. The totalitarian rulers of Germany, Italy and Japan waged war to subjugate other nations under their rule. The Holocaust was a terrible blot on modern history, when millions of Jews were exterminated simply because of their ethnicity and religion. Our own subcontinent was partitioned 66 years ago after a violent churning.  We look, speak and dress similarly, and we share common cultural, linguistic and historical heritages across the border. Yet, we are also separate nations who have fought wars against each other in the past. Our borders are tense and sporadic clashes continue to disturb an uneasy peace. More recently, there have been violent clashes in the former Yugoslavia and the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, leading to the birth of new independent nations. Such are the terrible results when narrow and restrictive nationalism predominates. The recent rise of terrorism is also spreading worldwide to stifle the spirit of a unified humanity and global peace.

Blinkered vision

As our loyalties narrow, our views and actions can become more negative, morally compromised and destructive. False beliefs and restricting loyalties provide a fertile breeding ground for the use of logical falsehoods to manipulate the gullible masses. Lies are freely spread by silver-tongued opportunists for a purported ‘greater common good’. Dictators such as Hitler have expertly created conditions for brainwashing large populations, rendering them unable or unwilling to use their free will and make their own choices. Cases of ethnic cleansing, genocide or mass murder of entire populations has happened in several parts of our world in recent times. Wars have been defended as just fights for freedom, right and honour of the nation. Military might and aggression has been presented as a vital way to prove one nation’s superiority over all others. It becomes acceptable to hide facts from people in order to protect their interests. Totalitarian governments compromise the freedom of individuals by spying upon them to maintain the security of the nation. Narrow nationalism can twist moral values such as courage by making the sectarian cause worth dying for. The Japanese kamikaze pilots of World War II and today’s terrorists and suicide bombers show how murder and suicide for the sake of the nation or community can be distorted to appear as heroism and moral virtue. When people unite for the common cause of freedom and self-determination for their homeland, their patriotic struggles for political independence can become either heroic, or vicious and barbaric. Sympathy for downtrodden national groups and outrage at crimes in the name of patriotism are two sides of the same coin. It all depends on which side one’s loyalties lie.

Voices of peace, sanity and unity have always been relatively rare. Yet they can, and have been, making a significant impact. While narrow sectarian concerns and jingoistic nationalism have wreaked havoc, the concepts of nationalism linked to internationalism were also advocated by idealists and intellectuals throughout the 20th century. These voices of reason and humanitarian concerns helped to shape today’s trends toward mutual interdependence across political, racial and regional boundaries. The ideal of universal commonality and unity gave birth to the League of Nations, and later to the United Nations. These iconic global organisations upheld the sovereignty of nation-states while promoting a worldwide community. They also attempted to help marginalised people such as colonial subjects and women to place their views before a worldwide forum. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth of Nations and SAARC also helped to reinvent today’s concepts of sovereignty, society, and national identity within the broader framework of global interdependence. All these international organisations have led the way towards international brotherhood, and economic, scientific and technological co-operation and cultural exchanges among nations.

Where is the space today, for Kant’s citizen of the world? We all need community affiliations, and the sense of belonging to our own nation or homeland. How can we maintain and enrich our unique national identities while maintaining peaceful harmony with others? Pride in one’s own homeland and loyalty to one’s community is a positive thing. But the attitude we take when flaunting our pride can make us either aggressive or accepting of others. As Indians, we need to do some serious soul-searching and be clear about the nature and extent of our own loyalties towards the many ethnic and cultural subdivisions within our country. Can we be, for example, proud Mysore Iyengars, Syrian Christians or Jats, and still be able to accept and co-operate with people from the many other Indias that make up our homeland? Or, will competition for dwindling resources make us more insular? Will we end up claiming rights and privileges for our ‘own’ people while sometimes deliberately denying them to ‘outsiders’? Finally, can we remain united as Indians despite our diversity, and maintain our national dignity while collaborating with people from other nations of the world? We may not have chosen to be born as Indians, but we can choose the way we deal with our fellow Indians and with human beings from other countries of the world.

India, like several other countries, has been plagued by divisions of race and religion. Our caste system is our unique way of further sub-dividing the people. However, our cultural heritage has also been one of tolerance and faith in the inherent goodness of others. Through the centuries, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and others have migrated from far-off lands to take refuge in our homeland. Our society has acknowledged and respected the real differences where these exist, but we have sought out common ground and nurtured it. Our saints, like Guru Nanak, Kabir, Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna have preached equality, patience and acceptance to our people. Our festivals and celebrations have been shared occasions transcending social and communal boundaries. As Indians, we have enjoyed the colourful riot of Holi, and lighted lamps and burst crackers together on Deepavali. Indian weddings are vibrant extravaganzas which unite not just a couple, but their extended families and communities.

India is much more than a political nation-state. It is the cradle of one of the world’s oldest civilisations. Our people have held since ages, values and moral obligations towards all human beings despite their different culture or ethnic background. Our Constitution upholds these moral values, and allows all Indians equality and freedom irrespective of caste, creed or linguistic and regional affiliations. Our political leaders have also supported these values, reflecting a universal moral obligation to all human beings above the narrower self-interests of nation-states. In keeping with this spirit of universal unity and peace, India has been an active stalwart of the Non-Aligned Movement and the UNO.
Today, divisions are blurring and people from all parts of the world are coming closer like never before. Thanks to rapid strides in technology, news and information travel in seconds across the globe. We can hop aboard a plane, and be transported within hours to any destination in the world.  We can surf the Internet from our homes, and find the world a mouse-click away.

 Trade and commerce are also making people from diverse nations increasingly interdependent.
 We can no longer manage with our internal resources and goods and services produced within our own borders. We use cell phones made in Singapore or China, wear shirts from US brands manufactured in Bangladesh or Mexico, and relish Swiss chocolates. Our own products, exported to far-off lands, bring home valuable foreign exchange. The nations of Europe are striving for unity under their economic union and common currency. Trade agreements with other nations boost our economy and promote international understanding.

Tourism is not simply an industry. Travelling also broadens our horizons and makes us more open and accepting of other cultures within our own country and the rest of the world. Food can also bring people closer. US fast food outlets are visible just about everywhere in the world. People from China to London enjoy burgers and chips. We may speak different languages and live in far corners of India. But who doesn’t relish digging into Punjabi tandoori dishes, munching crisp South Indian dosas, or biting into a juicy rosogolla from Bengal? Indian restaurants are even gaining popularity in distant lands.

Writers and artists play a special role in promoting understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures. Art and literature can urge us to stop and introspect, and inspire us to be our very best. Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Chairman Abdul Hameed recently said that literature is a reflection of the collective mind of any nation. Time brings changes among nations, and literature is the best medium to interpret these changes. Literature can change our lives and attitude in subtle but far-reaching ways. “After reading a masterpiece of literature, apparently we remain the same, but we are inwardly changed, and this is the fundamental function of literature.”

Cultural exchanges and international collaborative efforts of writers and artists are a marvellous means of appreciating the beauty of ideas and ideals of other nations. A recent exhibition of British art in Bangalore on the theme of ‘homelands’, is an apt case in point. The artworks in the exhibition dealt with the relationship between self and place in a world of transitory identities and contested geographies. The artists explored the idea of a ‘homeland’ to reveal rich layers of multiple meaning; ideas of belonging, alienation, history and memory. The collection urged viewers to ask “fundamental questions about a world that’s changing in front of our eyes, about the sometimes bewildering identity crisis that, for so many of us, constitutes modern life.”

We may have many superficial differences, but people are people, no matter where they come from. So, let’s celebrate our vibrant festivals together, wear colourful saris and sherwanis with pride, and follow the teachings of our saints faithfully. Let’s also relish sushi, pizzas and tacos, do business with Africans and the Chinese, and appreciate the writings of Orhan Pamuk and Murakami. Jai Hind! And Jai humanity!