People's Army and Nationalism

 Peoples' army is always stronger and more committed than hired or salaried army whether it be peoples' army of Mao China; or crores of people marching with non voilent Gandhi; or daring INA of S C Bose  frightening, fearful and mysterious enough to the British intelligence leading to real pressure on Britain to quit. Hence Sri Mohan Bhagwat is not wrong in his assessment and articulation though effectiveness of ideology may be an issue.

We need not undermine the capability of peoples’army. They can be placed in large number in disturbed areas to provide strong support & cooperation to defence forces.

Every successful government in the world has been putting its national interests at the top. But promotion of national interests, nationalism and talking & exhorting of nationalism are entirely different and even contradictory.

In fact open advocacy of nationalism leads to certain complications. Firstly, Foreign technology & capital is hesitant to come when it under a fear that the nationalists may any day oust them by launching swadeshi movement. This fear becomes stronger with ‘Bharat Mata ki jai'. 

As the hindi poet Rahim says

‘Never despise the little one on seeing the big one, For where a needle comes to use, of what use is a sword?’

It has been seen that you can promote the national interests covertly & silently (as China or Japan have done) more effectively. 

Secondly as a reaction to aggressive nationalism by a country the cooperation of the world community  with that country becomes weak. 

Thirdly in the garb of aggressive nationalism many unprincipled elements try to hide their misdeeds as if by sloganeering ‘Bharat Mata ki jai' they can wash their sins. 

Now see what is happening in India. On the one hand the PM goes abroad to invite foreign investor to make in India, but investors are fearful of getting ousted by swadeshi. The result is lowering growth rate.

If India is to survive and grow, open and wholehearted advocacy of Universalism, of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' is the real path to national advancement. 

It is for the reason for which thinkers like P R Sarkar, Tagore and Arbind Ghosh have strongly preached Universalism. Through Universalism we can achieve our national and international interests both effectively.