Nationalism

Borders and the idea of national identity

March 13, 2026 11:22 am

Nationalism is one of the most potent ideological forces in the contemporary world. While British historian Eric Hobsbawm used the term ‘invented tradition’ to explain the emergence of nationalism, Partha Chatterjee considered it a “derivative discourse”. Does the construction of borders overlook the shared history that links people on both sides?

In the age of polarising films, the quiet rebellion of ‘Ikkis’ and ‘The Great Shamsuddin Family’

February 09, 2026 11:21 am

Contemporary Bollywood remains largely trapped in a cycle of hypernationalism, where the representation of minorities has shifted from stereotyping to open criminalisation. A few films in the Hindi film industry and many in regional cinema offer an alternative vision

Why India should bring back jury duty and introduce civil conscription

January 17, 2026 12:22 pm

If Indian nationalism is to mean anything beyond jingoism, it must be practised, not merely professed. Participation in the nation cannot be reduced to voting once every five years, after which citizenship recedes into passive spectatorship. Where is our skin in the game?

Naseeruddin Shah writes on Diljit Dosanjh controversy: I feel no need to prove anything, including my patriotism

July 04, 2025 1:23 pm

The touchiness of the offence-taking brigade has begun bordering on the absurd. Anything that is remotely critical gets twisted to sound “anti-national”. The palpable poison in the air does not cause me despair or fear. It saddens me

Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: On Emergency and nationalism, a debate that blinds us to the future

July 01, 2025 11:21 am

In an era of such planetary-scale economic, technological and moral change, it is galling that we still want to remain stuck in the Seventies

The myths and utopias of two nationalisms

June 30, 2025 12:36 pm

Constitutional nationalism aims at correction; Hindutva nationalism seeks retribution. Can the two ever meet?

Bharat Mata all of India must revere is the Constitution

June 26, 2025 5:59 pm

It is now essential to distinguish legitimate patriotism from weaponised ultra-nationalism. The former unites; the latter divides

The nation, the state and the other: Hindutva's imprint on nationalism in India

June 16, 2025 10:46 am

For centuries, Indian society has been characterised by an unselfconscious pluralism of religions and cultures. Today’s European-style nationalism, by contrast, manufactures division and calls it unity.

The Indian nationalist hero had scientific temper. Now, he just has tech

June 13, 2025 1:29 pm

The Five-Year-Plan Hero had mastered the technologies but he was never just a technologist. Today, to try and think beyond technology (the task of scientific thinking) and whether book knowledge should have any connection with real life – democracy, equality and discrimination – is pointless activism

The reasons behind resurgence of nationalist sentiments across globe

April 29, 2026 9:01 am

We can engage in discussions that grapple with economic anxieties, cultural identity, and a longing for community

When Rahul hugged Modi: Call me Pappu, insult me. But I have no hate for you

June 22, 2020 6:21 pm

At the end of an impassioned speech, Rahul Gandhi tells the Parliament that he has no hatred towards the BJP or RSS or anyone else who call him names and insult him. He said, that's what it is to be a Congressman, an Indian.

Arrested JNU Student Umar Khalid In A Student Film Made In 2009

February 29, 2016 7:42 pm

Shah should not lecture Congress on nationalism: Sibal

February 15, 2016 4:24 pm

New Delhi, Feb 15 (ANI): Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday rubbished Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s comment on the Jawaharlal Nehru University row, saying he did not have the stature to lecture Congress president Sonia Gandhi or vice president Rahul Gandhi on the issue of nationalism. Sibal said instead of dealing with the university students in the way that they should be dealt with, the BJP was busy proving that they were criminals. Sibal further stated that India is no more under British rule and added that Amit Shah and PM Modi cannot stop these young children from speaking their minds.