Evolving Nationalism - A Challenge to Society?

Looking at how nationalism in India is evolving, identifying how it challenges trust and unity in the society, and evaluating the problems emanating out of it.

A few years back, Allahabad was renamed as Prayagraj to replace Mughal-era traditions and customs. While a Government may be free to rename any place it wishes, this decision goes against the spirit of Article 29 (Protection of interests of minorities) and Article 14 (Right to equality). The responses of government officials that followed were even more concerning, as they appear to appease one dominant faith by establishing mythology as real history.

In this article, we look at how nationalism in India evolved and encourage such actions. We also discuss how it impacts the Constitutional ideal of secularism, creates fissures in society, and damages the vision of ‘unity in diversity’.

Origins of Nationalism in India

Benedict Anderson, in his book Imagined Communities, says that nations are “imagined political communities” rather than naturally existing or ancient entities. This means that nations are created based on shared ideas that the majority agrees to. These shared ideas further create loyalties or devotion to the nation, called nationalism. Nationalism then aims to create a political structure that agrees with the ideas of a nation.

Nationalism took birth in India as a reaction to the British Raj. Reformers and freedom fighters used it to unite people and demand a free India. They imagined the idea of a nation called India, even when such an entity did not exist. The nationalism that followed strived to make it happen.

Cultural nationalism came as a by-product. With the fears of British influence in the cultural fabric of India, cultural nationalism evolved as an instrument to revive the indigenous culture, traditions, and heritage of the nation. It took different pathways as it moved forward. One of them was hinged on the ideas of a Hindu culture that faced ‘oppression’ from the British and Mughals in the past. This led to the emergence of Hindu nationalism, which has recently gained wide acceptance.

What, therefore, started as an honest attempt for independence and cultural revival transformed into a religious nationalism, which is creating problems today.

Evolving Nationalism

In 2014, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, a BJP government came to power. This became a turning point in Indian politics as it was the first time that a government with Hindu nationalist ideals won an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha.

Guided by the ideals of a Hindu nation and spurred by a society backing it, they implemented numerous measures that have impacted secularism and created disruption in society. Similar to the example of Allahabad, many other places, such as Aurangabad, Faizabad, and Mughalsarai, were renamed. Beef bans in several states, cultural re-appropriation in school textbooks modifying major historical events, and the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, which excludes Muslims from a list of persecuted minorities eligible for citizenship, are some examples of such measures.

In this evolved nationalism, religion plays a significant part. This has polarized our society and created fissures that are growing every day. Religious minorities are sidelined and are, at times, denied basic rights. To the neutrals, there is a worry that the trajectory of public policy is deviating from growth and development to religious propaganda and targeted welfare schemes for the few. This creates a trust deficit in society, the problems of which we will discuss later in this article.

State and Markets

What are the incentives driving states and markets to allow this religious nationalism? Why do ruling parties enable such social divisions? The primary incentive for any ruling government is to get re-elected. In India, we employ the first-past-the-post voting system wherein a candidate only needs to secure more votes than her rival to win. So, the unflinching support of a small group of people is enough to win an election rather than unanimous support from the entire electorate. This promotes vote bank politics and creates concepts of majorities and minorities.

When we add religious nationalism into this mix, there is an opportunity for governments to use it to cement their position. Uniting with the sentiments of the religious majority, the government claims to be a savior who demands electoral support in return. Once this agreement is established, there is no need to spend time on complicated growth and development policies, but only to cater to the needs of the majority to win elections.

Businesses have their own incentives to pursue religious nationalism. Governments in India control all aspects of the market (taxes, monetary flow, licenses, export-import policies, etc). Therefore, businesses must align themselves with the government and remain in its goodwill to function well. If the Government promotes religious nationalism, businesses reflect this to earn support. Furthermore, there is a lucrative market for businesses if they align with religious nationalists. Like the electoral support assured to Governments, there is a continuous patronage at offer for businesses if they can use religious nationalism well.

The outcome of all this is that governments win elections, markets gain profits, and a section of the society relishes as their faith is endorsed. On the other hand, the rest of the society suffers oppression, negligence, and alienation.

Importance of Trust in a Society

Trust is a fundamental pillar on which societies are built. Francis Fukuyama, in his book Trust, says that societies with high levels of social trust, such as the Nordic countries, have developed strong economic institutions and large-scale enterprises. On the contrary, low-trust societies have weaker institutions and economies.

The book argues that in low-trust societies, people cooperate only with a set of rules and enforcement mechanisms. This increases transaction costs, and disputes arise frequently. In low-trust societies, people mistrust each other and perpetually fear the other. In extreme situations, low trust can lead to conflicts and civil wars, as seen in African countries and Manipur recently.

Compared to this, where trust is high, people work together, and transaction costs are low. There is no need for complicated rules. People and businesses can engage in economic exchanges without concerns. This fosters a culture of investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation, thereby creating strong institutions and economy.

Building a Cohesive Society

Building trust in present-day Indian society is a long-term endeavour and will require marathon efforts. The fervour of religious nationalism will continue for decades to come, and concerted bottom-up efforts must be in place to manage it.

To begin with, we need more avenues for constructive discussions against the prevalent polarization. Differences of opinion in a country as diverse as India are only natural, and spaces to discuss and formulate solutions are important.

An informed citizenry is essential, and they are vital to shaping Government policies. Citizens should be capable of debating and analysing issues plaguing the country rather than participating in polarizing projects. Public policy education and programmes to create political awareness among citizens will, therefore, become a priority in the coming years.

All of us have to play a part in reforming our society. There should be empathy and mutual understanding in our engagements with each other. As society transforms, the political discourse will reflect this and will work to transform itself. The present incentives for polarizing politics can only be challenged from the bottom.

Moving Forward

Nationalism was an important tool for us in our freedom struggle. However, the religious nationalism we see today has created social divisions and impacted trust. Low trust damages society in innumerable ways - minorities are alienated, poverty worsens, and communal riots become common. We, the citizens, should drive social change. The only solution to the problem is empathy and informed political discourse. All of us have to play our part.

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