Why does RSS/BJP want a Hindu Rashtra based on Hindu nationalism, when an Indian Nation, based on Indian nationalism is already available? If India is not Bharatiya enough for the RSS/BJP, we could change the name to Bharat, since the sacred Sindhu River, from which Indu or India derives its name, has already been lost to Pakistan. But what drives the need to invoke “Hindu nationalism”, which risks destabilising the Indian State, by giving rise to other nationalistic sentiments in reaction to those of Hindu nationalism? A Nation is defined as a body of people enjoying a bond, anchored in common race or ethnicity, a common religion, a shared history, a common language, shared culture and a lived experience that binds them together into one coherent community. A state in turn can be made up of one or many such nations. India is a state, made up of many such potential nations, which cannot be easily segregated, though the potential exists. While patriotism is love of your land, people, its culture, language, cuisine and way of life, nationalism, on the other hand, is usually political mobilisation of the people against an enemy: external or internal, often both. The purpose of nationalism is to unite to fight an enemy; or to grab power over others in a mixed polity. Nationalism evokes a more powerful emotional response than patriotism, which is why politicians in a hurry prefer nationalism as a binding force than the more natural but positive pull of patriotism. Why does BJP/RSS invoke Hindu nationalism as the binding force and not patriotism, which is the love of Bharat, our motherland? Who or what are the adversaries that Hindus are required to unite against? Kyun Hindu khatre mein hain?
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