१६ unmesh

A TWO DAYS
REGIONAL SEMINAR
ON

“SOURCES OF INDIAN NATIONALISM- AN EVALUATION”

Since development stages of different human groups all over the world have been different so qualitatively the development of unity among different groups has been different. Keeping in view this fact, definition, explanations and problems of nationalism should be analyzed in the context of unity of individual groups, their structure patterns, qualities etc. The nationalism particularly in Indian context is all together is different because diversity is the basic fact of this nation / country. Nationalism in India is all things. But how do our petty, confused minds approach nationalism - that is important and not the definition or descriptions of what is nationalism is. On our approach to nationalism, all questions and answers depend. More over the addition of the suffix ‘ism’ to ‘national’ has altered profoundly the original meaning of the ‘nation’. The nation was originally conceived to be a community of people organized on the basis of common geographical area, history, language traditions and culture but the new ‘ism’ endowed it with new, excessive traits which changed the entire concept. Nationalism makes more of the nation than this political or cultural community. It is well said that the term ‘nationalism’ is the perversion of the original word ‘nation’. Nationalism has its own peculiar historical development. So nationalism like religion, is subjective, psychological, a condition of mind, a spiritual possession; a way of feeling, thinking and living. Nationalism is not a political but an educational conception. Nationalism is only accidentally a political question, but primarily it is a spiritual and educational question. So if nationalism is a state of mind, an act of consciousness or a supreme form of group consciousness or if nationalism denotes the resolve of a group of human beings to solve their fortune, and to exercise exclusive control over their own action or if development of nationalism lies in common history, common suffering, common triumphs, common achievements, common memories then finding out the basic ingredients, source of nationalism is justified particularly in the present time because India or Indian mind cannot be defined only in the terms of industry, technology and economy.
So we need a seminar to discuss the following points:-
(a) Nationalism as an historical process
(b) Nationalism as a theory
(c) Nationalism as socio-political activity
(d) Nationalism as a sentiment or consciousness

Subtopics –

Nature of nationalism in Vedic India
Post Vedic perspective of nationalism
Medieval India understands of nationalism
Form of Nationalism in Medical; Hindus
Form of Nationalism in Islam
Revolutionaries’ concept of Nationalism in freedom struggle
Gandhian understanding of nationalism
Political parties and their understanding of nationalism
Indian education system and spirit of nationalism
Projection of Indian nationalism and western concepts of nationalism
Post independence sources of Nationalism
Constituents of India’s national identity
Indian nationalism, terrorism and peace
Characteristics of Indian nationalism and working of Indian mind