Nationalism, Patriotism – Radical Dogma?

When Indian born scientist and nobel-laureate visited India last year, one of the Indian media person asked him, “Are you proud to be an Indian?” He smiled and said, "I don’t attach myself to a nation. I work with people from many countries and I love and respect people"

This may be a very casual reply from the nobel- laureate for a question which is quite often asked by the immature Indian media to any successful NRI.

I am wondering why this Nationalism, Patriotism etc.., is being talked very passionately by the countries and its leaders around the world and particularly in country like India. I am not against someone loving their country. I too want my country to prosper; I too want my country to participate in FIFA world-cup…

But I question Nationalism when it takes priority at the cost of humanity. I question it when a country exploits other country for its benefit. Almost people in every country are fine with such exploitation if they are getting benefited.

Many incidents happening around the world with the National-Interest had made Nationalism-Patriotism look more like a radical dogma.

    United States has been ruining this entire world for the past few decades for their National-Interest
    India voted against Iran in UN for its National-Interest
    India supported Rajapakse and endorsed his Genocide for its National-Interest
    India played a role in toppling the Maoist government in Nepal for its National-Interest
    Israel attacks the aid-ships and put a blockade to West-Bank for its National-Interest
    India spends billions of dollars on Afghanistan for its National-Interest
    Every country spends billions of dollars every year in making new weapons in their  National-Interest
    Russia bombarded Georgia for its National-Interest
    Many countries supported the latest sanction on Iran for their National-Interest
    …..
    …..

I wonder why someone has to be fanatically passionate about the country they born? Ironically, if everyone is given a chance to choose their birth country, almost 80% would choose different country than they born. But why anyone should think of only the prosperity of his country alone? As a civilized society cant we care for people in other countries too?

Why we have to take some decision which will benefit only us at the cost of others?

Why every country wants to be global-power? To manipulate and exploit other countries for their National-Interest?

Think of the horror that have been inflicted by George Bush and Tony Blair on Iraq. They misguided the entire world that Saddam had a WMD and that’s the reason they were invading Iraq. But now they are saying even if Saddam did not possess any WMD, still they would have invaded Iraq.

Why the civilized countries not questioning these two leaders? Why they were not tried in the International Court of Justice for misguiding the world and illegally occupying Iraq. These two leaders did that for their National-Interest best known to them only.

But other countries also keeping quite on them for their National Interest

We are perfectly fine if anything is done at the National Interest, even if it’s a genocide in the neighboring country.

Particularly we Indians are completely hypocritical on this. If people like Bal-Thackery or Lalu Prasad or Mamata talks in their States-Interest, we say they are bad.

If anything in the name of National-Interest is justifiable, why not the State-Interest?

Or why not Linguistic-Interest? Or why not Caste-Interest?

Corruptibility of nationalism is an issue, since it is not even-handed. Hatred of one group can lead to hatred of others, no matter how far such feeling may be from the minds of large-hearted nationalist leaders.

Gandhi defended Nationalism and he said that one must go through nationalism to reach internationalism. But I believe in Tagore's Nationalism which was Inclusive and Objective. Tagore said, “Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy a glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live”

Tagore believed in being champion of the people and not of the nation.

In my opinion, Nationalism, Patriotism are being used by everyone for their interest.

If you wish to live as one country you should also know how to live as a single-world!