While the entire world, because of faster communications, is undergoing cultural homogenization, strange things happen about the assertion of identity amongst various people. The racial, ethnic and religious differences amongst people are reasserting themselves. There is a distinct rise in the self-assertion of people. The nationalism has returned with great respectability.

What is happening around us? There is a heightened ethnic consciousness in the U.S.; Quebec is in ferment in Canada; no letup in troubled Ireland and Balkans burn brighter with ethnic differentiation. Nationalism has made an amazing comeback everywhere.

The more similar people become, the greater the urge to be different is there. A new found consumerism, affluence, travel, updated life styles and invaded skies have been a great leveler. “If everybody is the same, who am I?” People long to be recognized as something special. Nationalism thus fulfills this deep-seated desire for special identity.

But in India it is fashionable to ridicule nationalism as a parochial humbug. The prevailing twin ideologies of liberalism and socialism, drawing their lessons from history, stressed that it is economics which makes people tick. According to them race, ethnicity and religion had lost their history–making power. And nationalism for the time being went out of fashion. There was a lot of nationalism without democracy but democracies survived precariously without nationalism. Most of the freedom struggles in the third world were waged in the name of nationalism. India was no exception. Even today PLO, IRA and the ANC draw their sustenance from nationalism.

Nationalism is neither inherently right-wing, nor with leftist leaning. The nation’s pride in itself is an ideology of the patriots. We need people who keep the nation above everything. Such national pride can alone unleash powerful emotions and keep the country intact. It can produce the best in people.

Patriotism is not the last refuge of scoundrels, as is often said. Neither it is an ideology of the down trodden. Nor can it be laughed at as the glue of disparate interests or the backward-looking resurgence of the majority community. The wave cannot be suppressed nor can it be turned to look apologetic. It is through patriotism that we make a promise to get the country off its knees and strike a chord among our countrymen.

More insidious still is the temptation to say that the Hindus, despite being labelled, have always remained vibrant because they are incapable of showing themselves as a community ever ready to rattle the sword, hand out firmans and pronounce the dreaded excommunication.

The special features of Hindu psyche however do not end here simply. An ordinary follower is proud of religious heritage. He is however, equally proud of the contribution made by other religions and in this acceptance lies the superiority of his religion because he has the compassion and tolerance. What held them together is nothing more tangible than a certain structure of feeling about the sacred and the profane.

Secularism will be deprived of its legitimacy if Hindus increasingly look at it as an instrument of irresponsible minorityism. Though in every community there is a certain percentage of temperamental fanatics but due to unconcealed instigation of media, Muslims in India have always been prone to creating walls around them. To cure fanaticism, except as a rare aberration of the eccentric fringe, a liberal education and security are needed. It is fear that produces social conformity and straight-jacketed norms. Rivalry and envy are all based upon insecurity and therefore upon fear. This lack of feeling of security is more generated by politicians and media than by those who are wedded to nationalism. This is the current national need.

A resurgence of nationalism, can alone douse the fires. No secularist, as a myth-monger should attempt to suppress the nationalist renewal today: hell hath no fury like a nation scorned.