Opinion: Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai, but are we talking of the same Bharat?

 I am a patriot. I would blindly pick India over any other country and would probably be very judgemental and nitpicky if I was packed off on a flight to a foreign country. Where are the long lines? Where are the crowds? 

I am proud of how this unlikely country made up of a diverse group of people manages to stay together. How despite the unending list of divisions we stay a fairly united group. A sense of brotherhood that ties us together. What else could keep this amalgamation of people together? Not food, certainly not religion. Language? Lol. Culture? Not really. 

Indian Culture is an interesting thing. No one can agree on what it actually is. Indian culture is a totally different thing for everyone. Its basically the worst game of telephone (or as it is racist(ly) known as Chinese Whispers) ever. I think thats pretty fair though. What exactly is purely an INDIAN thing?

The Indus Valley Civilisation? The Aryans? But claiming to be of Aryan descent is not going to be great for anyone. The Sultanate and the Mughals? The Cholas?

Trying to avoid writing political blogs

But I can't stop myself




I heard someone talk of the Sultanate invading "our country" in 1206 CE. But, was India India then? Whatever India is now is a mix of so many cultures. What is purely Indian? Our past is that of the Dravidians, the Aryans, the Mughals, the Rajputs, the Marathas, the Sultanate, the Cholas and so so many more that not any one of them is INDIAN. India , the country, was formed in 1947. The land whose dwellers have descended from many different groups of people, but who all are rightful citizens of it. No Sultanate invaded our country, the Sultanate made our country a part of what it was. Kings fought all the time, invaded all the time back then and made an impact on the culture.

The point is that our past should not dictate our present. What India is and what it should mean to everyone is that it is everything. It is the cultures of all the rulers this beautiful country has ever had, all the religions it has witnessed, all the languages , all the pain, all the highs. 

So, if you want to be pro-India, you have no choice but to be pro-ALL of India.


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