Key Points

Nationalism is a political belief system that has shaped world history for over two centuries, inspiring intense loyalty and patriotism, but also causing deep hatreds and conflicts. It often involves symbols like national flags and the idea of sacrificing for one's country.

A nation is an 'imagined community' held together by the collective beliefs, aspirations, and imaginations of its members. Unlike a family or clan, members of a nation may never meet most of their fellow nationals.

A nation is constituted by four main elements: shared beliefs that they belong together, a sense of continuing history, identification with a particular territory or homeland, and shared political ideals for an independent future.

In the 19th century, nationalism led to the unification of smaller kingdoms into larger nation-states. The formation of modern Germany and Italy are key examples of this process.

Nationalism also contributed to the break-up of large empires, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and British empires. Nationalist struggles for freedom from colonial rule were common in Asia and Africa.

This is the right claimed by nations to govern themselves and determine their own future. It often includes the demand for an independent state, recognized by the international community.

The idea that each distinct cultural or ethnic group should have its own state gained acceptance after World War I. However, attempts to implement this led to mass migration, violence, and the creation of new minority problems.

Even stable nation-states today face nationalist demands for separation. Examples include the Quebecois in Canada, the Basques in Spain, and the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq.

It is desirable for a democracy to define the nation in political terms (shared commitment to constitutional values) rather than cultural terms (a single religion or language). A cultural definition can be oppressive and exclude minorities.

Democratic societies accommodate cultural diversity by granting group rights, such as constitutional protection for the language, culture, and religion of minority communities. This helps build an inclusive national identity.

Rabindranath Tagore was critical of narrow, aggressive nationalism, stating, 'Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity.' He warned against letting patriotism triumph over universal human values.

Granting independent statehood to every group is impractical and could lead to many small, non-viable states and multiply minority problems. The solution often lies in making existing states more democratic and inclusive.

A healthy nationalism in a democracy is based on a shared commitment to political values like liberty, equality, and fraternity. Loyalty is to the constitution and its ideals, not to a particular ethnic or religious group.

Individuals have multiple identities based on gender, caste, religion, language, and region. A democratic political identity should be broad enough to encompass these different identities without forcing a single, uniform one.