Indian Nationalism and Free Speech.

19- 17th century was a remarkable period of human history. An era of renaissance, reformation and enlightenment had began. Nationalism, was one of the most pivotal not even India! when Britishers came to India, the ‘national consciousness’ found expression in various freedom struggle movements .

These movements strengthened the ‘solidarity of belonging to one motherland, with shored histories and cohesive social miler – But, as tide of nationalism swept across time and space, the question of ‘freedom of speech’ began to be debated. what is the relationship between nationalism and freedom of speech? Are both Exclusive of each other? or, is there a complementarily between the two. In this essay, we would seek answers to these questions –

Nationalism – Meaning and Importance

India has been called as ‘Bharatvarsa’. A land of numerous diversity – from sindh to kanyakumari. The solidarity of Existing together as one cohesive and multicultural civilization has always existed in India. Can we imagine the existence of this hugely diverse country without nationalism? certainly not! As, it is nationalism – which has created a sense of allegiance, pride and patriotism amongst US. It was a shored idea of ‘nation’- ‘Free, inclusive, independent’, which pumped the hearts of our freedom fighters with Vallour and audacity to challenge the Empire on which sun never used to set. This shared commraelie translated into fundamental rights, pansheel, Gujrat doctrine in later course. And, what than is freedom of speech?

A sense of national consciousness and a collective resolve to constitute a nation, gave rise, to the concept of ‘rights of its constituents i.e citizens’. This found expression in article 19 of our constitution. This article is a solemn resolve of ‘how important thus freedom is to US. The freedom to express oneself without fear and favor, the freedom of a Bihari to settle in Gujarat, the freedom of a chartered Accountant to sit for civil service, the freedom to navigate from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the freedom to express dissent against government laws, the freedom to form civil Society organizations, trade unions to put forth our grievances! And all these freedoms make out Existence meaningful. They ensure liberty in true Sense. They create environment for the true development of ones soul.

But, are the concepts of nationalism and freedom of speech unrestrained- Are they monolithic pillars of Truth and only truth, which cannot be challenged? or do they come at same cost?

Nationalism- ‘All that glitters is not gold!

It the Perception of ‘belongingness’ has created shared frontiers of many civilizational groups, there has also been a cost attached to it. For hype nationalism is jingoism, It can create destructive obedience, compliance and conformity (eg- Nazi Germany). It can transform an uninhabited land into world’s most prosperous economy (America), it can also create racial divide and indifference to others.

This ‘otherness’ breeds ‘communalism’ in long term. It leads to homogenization of culture, religious chauvanism. The aspiration to chain nationalism within the farewells of one identity will depress ‘freedom of speech of others’. when that ‘other’ cannot speak out ones mind? It would suppress the entered and reason that prevails inside each of one US. The desperation of this uniform idea of nationalism has the potential to erode the very edifice of diversity.

On the other laud, true nationalism never promotes hate – It rather creates the obligation to serve other. The soldiers manning the borders, the police patrolling the midnight city, the its officer agitating his ‘national demand’ on a global from- all do so, because they are bound by one common thread of ‘Indian identity’ And, what restricts unrestrained freedom of speech?

To begin with, the constitution itself mentions 8 criterions. when the freedom to speak ones mind, starts jeopardising the very identity that has guaranteed, it needs to be restricted. It is therefore, Sovereignty of India, Its unity and integrity amongst others, are mentioned in article 19 as reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech. This restriction also has international and philosophical validity. When we come together  to form a nation, we get bound by the theory of ‘social contract’. we denounce a few of our rights for the collective well being of all we vow to exercise reasonable restrictions on what we could ‘say’ for our “rights end where it stats violating those of others”. How aptly Mahatma Gandhi puts it up “for every right , there is a correlative duty”!!

 This correlation is important because our rights often make us ignorant of our duties. The muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 were triggered by a Social Media chat, False news and Infodemic jeopardised as many lives during COVID as the virus itself. one’s unrestrained freedom of speech can damage dignity of others life (Another fundamental right protected under article 21) and, the most blatant misuse is through social media these days with lightening speed and sound of a thunder, one twitter post is  enough to create a siege of capitol hill of USA. When has tags like # farmer genocide trend, it is not freedom of speech, rather an assertion of ones hatred and bigotry.

So, is it nationalism v\s freedom of speech?

 Nationalism is a duty, freedom of speech is a right”. The responsibility to protect ones nation and to place it before any of our personal affiliations, is indeed itself, a restriction on freedom of speech. However, the picture has not been so rosy. And, numerous examples prove how the idea of nationalism and freedom of speech have often came at loggerheads.

The recent Charlie Heibdo controversy, when France ultimately came out with a low aimed at ‘Man of the west must fight to maintain the virtues of world’! The furors over Tanishaq told showing union between a Hindu and Muslim family. The concept of ‘Love jihad’ which is directly opposed to the ‘parakiya prem’ (transgressive love) popular in both shufi and vaishnaw tradition or let us go a little back in time, ‘when Salman Rushdie was banned for’ Satanic verses’, or MF Husain was criticized for haked image of Hindu goddess. Don’t All these examples put nationalism and freedom of speech at loggerheads? ‘CERTAINLY NOT’.!

For, nationalism and freedom of speech both need to work in unison to achieve the ‘welfarism’ and humanism’ propagated in 18th century renaissance. It nationalism is a motivation for the post world war Germany to rejuvenate its economy’ it was the ‘freedoms of speech and expression’ that actually made it a thriving democracy.

And, what else than our own past to look at it.

National democratic awakening of 19th century was never possible without the freedom of speech. The vernacular press act, was therefore called the gagging act. However, there is a flip side too! what was the relevance of freedom of speech it India did not emerge as ‘united nation’? The S96 princely states coalesced into one common identity. And it is this combined strength of this identity, severed each deny with the blood of our many soldiers, that we enjoy conducive environment to express ourself- ‘Sometimes to our relatives, sometimes on social media’- Hence the crux is ‘both Freedom to express’ and duty to unite as a nation’ actually complement each other. It absence of nationalism will germinate fissiparous tendencies, absence of freedom of speech would paralyse the trinity of ‘liberty, equality fraternity’

And, hence, our pledge should be to balance the right to speak with the duty to uphold sovereignty, integrity of India [fundamental duty – 51 A]. Our concepts of ‘Ek Bharat, ek strestha Bharat’, a free media, tools of social media and micro blogging sites – all should her used to promote complimentarily between the two.

Nationalism and freesheet are topics of ever ending debates. Every how ideal of shared world will force us to ‘examine the  two’! After all, as Socrates said, ‘An unexamined life is not worth living’! But, all this Examination should ultimately guide us to the goal set by 11th century European renaissance and the 19th – 20th century Indian freedom struggle – If ‘humanism’ and ‘ideals of liberty’!