As Jan 26 arrives and a standup comic is in prison for being anti national let’s revisit the idea of patriotism. It’s a long and perhaps pointless thread. /1

Leo Tolstoy, found it both stupid and immoral. It is stupid because every patriot holds his own country to be the best, which obviously negates all other countries. /2

It is immoral because it enjoins us to promote our country’s interests at the expense of all other countries, employing any means, including war. It is thus at odds with the most basic rule of morality, which tells us not to do to others what we would not want them to do to us /3

it is my sincere belief, patriotism of a personal nature, which does not impede on personal and physical liberties of another, is not only welcome but perhaps somewhat needed. But isn’t adherence to a more humane code of life much better than mere nationalistic patriotism? /4

Hermann Göring said, “people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” /5

We find a strange method in the workings of patriotism or nationalism (these concepts have been used interchangeably) of how allegiance to a certain idea is considered patriotism which leaves very little wiggle room for any other ideology to be accepted as even acceptable. /6

For example, eating beef is anti-national, so is screening certain documentaries, opining that caste exists or making jokes, speaking against a draconian martial law, or against a specific party line, etc.

All these ideas are considered anti-national now. /7

However, what does not make us angry or anti-national though is reducing the funding on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) by 60%, while malnourishment rates in many Indian states are similar to sub-Saharan Africa; /8

an overall reduction in national health spending isn’t anti national (including tobacco-induced cancer and AIDS research); reduction in corporate tax rates isn’t; color-based segregation of foreign nationals; any instance of crony capitalism isn’t anti national. /9

Our pride does not suffer a mini aneurysm with Khairlanji or Bathani Tola or Manorama Devi or Konan Poshpora or Kilvenmani or mass graves in Bastar or Shopian and Mubina Gani, and Mrs. Ahanjaobi. /10

Acc to National Crime Bureau at least two Dalits were assaulted each hour in India.

Just between 2006-11 in North-East, about 7,000 rape case accusations and more than 11,000 kidnapping cases accusations were made against the Indian Army isn’t anti national. /11

So, perhaps it’s just me this republic day but I just hear George Orwell telling me that if you want to see a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever. /end