Vision that resonates
At a time when nationalism is once again hardening into moral certainty, and violence is routinely justified in the name of history, identity, or destiny, Rabindranath Tagore’s global vision speaks with unsettling clarity.
At a time when nationalism is once again hardening into moral certainty, and violence is routinely justified in the name of history, identity, or destiny, Rabindranath Tagore’s global vision speaks with unsettling clarity.
“The BJP operates on the policy of divide and rule. It is more important to live by the principles of Vande Mataram than merely singing it,” he said.
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, many expected a revival of his emblematic economic nationalism. Few, however, foresaw his outrageous move to impose a $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
The collapse of the Non Cooperation Movement was the beginning of the breakdown of the national consensus leading to the debate between composite nationalism and the two-nation theory.
He was addressing a function at the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agriculture University in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday evening.
Speaking at a webinar hosted by an Australian think-tank, he went on to add that the Sino-Indian relationship had been “significantly damaged” this year. Also, this week, Mr Jaishankar was targeted in a media interview by a respected commentator on international affairs and former Indian Foreign Service colleague for his helming of Indian foreign policy which was characterised by the latter as being marked by “a lot of uncertainty… (and) no clear direction”.
He said that the aim of RSS is nothing more than uniting the Hindu society and not to interfere in the federal system of the country.
The remarks by the BJP ally assume significance as they come after a vitriolic Delhi Assembly polls campaign in which some BJP leaders were rapped by the Election Commission for making inflammatory speeches.
Welcoming the participants, Ravindra Kumar, editor of The Statesman and trustee of C R Irani Foundation, said that in journalism as much as in public life, any kind of criticism is seen as an absence of nationalism.
"It (BJP) is not scoring on ideology, it is scoring on whipping up communal passions, emotive passions," said Yechury.
