" Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime". Adlai Stevenson
"Breathes there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!" asks Sir Walter Scott.
Well,from several such quotes we can decipher that patriotism is not an occasional distraction from one's daily routine but a lifetime bonding. Love for the country means, love for fellow human beings of the country, without prejudices against any of the branches of its national tree in the name of religion, caste, creed and language. Wherever peace prevails, patriotism relaxes in the lap of love. If the patriotic vibes are constant and credible, they will spontaneously rise up to times of crisis, without any room for a political call for rituals to trigger patriotism.
Patriotism has to be protective against any external assault on the sovereignty of one's country in the eventuality of any unprecedented war between countries. People have displayed their patriotic instinct by contributing their mite in whichever way possible, to strengthen the hands of their warring mother.
This is what India had witnessed in the past, whenever there were undue terrorist attacks and short time border wars between India and its hostile neighbours. Even monetary contributions from the citizens during those times, reflected the spontaneous patriotic fervour. But on many such occasions no rituals were held as a token of patriotism. Patriotism is generated and inculcated but can never be orchestrated as an opportunistic tool for political aggrandizement or political survival.
We are now living in the times of globalization. There has been inter placement of citizens between countries. As a result of this inter placement, the citizens of one country have chosen to be the citizens of another country.Let us imagine the probability of a war between countries that have seen inter placement of citizens, and the consequent choice of external citizenship by those, who have foregone their native citizenship. What will happen to these inter placed citizens and where will their patriotism lie? These are in fact disturbing questions, in the midst of a few countries permitting dual citizenships.
Terrorism is a potential human evil that has to be sternly dealt with, shunning laid back attitudes and strategizing suitable control machinery, through predictive avoidance of attacks and proper retaliatory moves so as to prevent any repeat of such attacks. Civil wars are as dangerous as terrorism. Internecine scuffle between tribes,Mao attacks and communal onslaughts have all to be viewed as acts of internal terrorism and the wings of patriotism should fly far and wide internally, to arrest these group-contaminated or politically maneuvered, emotionally boiling, people-killing atrocities. Loss of lives creates the same amount and volume of grief, wherever innocent people fall victims in large numbers, to gangsterism and terrorism.
Every sensitive and sensible citizen of this country should genuinely feel for the recent loss of lives at Pahalgam, and condemn the brutal terrorist attack on specified targets. But the voices of grief and condemnation should not stop here. They should vibrate to every nook and corner of India wherever violence is perpetuated against women, children and all other fellow human beings, be it Manipur or any other communally vulnerable state. Only then the vibes of patriotism will spread their tunes of love and brotherhood, blended with the spirit of equality.
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