Crude jingoism

The question mark on citizens’ nationalist credentials, hitherto limited to minority communities, is being made to expand its scope. In a first, the UGC has sent a note to the affiliated universities and colleges asking students to take a security pledge on October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. On that day, declared as the National Unity Day since 2014, 30 million students have been asked to read the pledge, “I dedicate myself to preserve the unity, integrity and security of the nation and also strive hard to spread this message…in the spirit of unification of my country…” The note also asks the universities and colleges to invite freedom fighters to their campuses to talk about nationalism. 

While the pledge is not mandatory, the UGC has asked the universities to keep the Human Resource Development Ministry posted on their events and programmes. Already incidents of virulent jingoism are becoming a challenge to maintaining one’s sanity in these days when patriotic hysteria is sweeping the land. The latest one is from Goa. Salil Chaturvedi, a celebrated poet, author and disability activist, was assaulted by a couple seated behind him at a cinema hall for not standing up when the national anthem was played. He could not stand because of his disability caused by a spine injury. Son of an Air Force veteran, Salil Chaturvedi represented the nation in wheelchair tennis at Australian Open. 

The mistrust of people’s natural love for their country is allowed to spread without check, to breed dubious patriots, who are tearing into the country’s democratic traditions and healthy societal values. Chaturvedi need not trumpet his patriotism, nor do the college and university students. Demanding proof of nationalism is taking jingoism to an absurd new level. The force-feeding of nationalism can have the opposite effect. The well-meaning UGC pledge must remain optional. Elements with patriotic pretensions must be taught a lesson if they try to take away liberties guaranteed under the Constitution of India.