Patriotism and
National Unity

There was a gathering of Muslim scholars. One of the speakers remarked in his speech that Muslims are wrongly accused of not being part of the country’s mainstream (mukhya dhara), whereas, in reality, they are. When my turn came to speak, I said that, in my view, this complaint is entirely valid. He asked, how so? I responded: Inclusion in the mainstream begins from the point at which one accepts that Hindus and Muslims form a single nation. That fundamental acceptance, however, has yet to be realized.

I said that every Indian scholar who applies for a passport writes “Indian” in the nationality section, just as a Hindu does. This means that the nationality of both Hindus and Muslims is the same, and therefore, both are one nation. But the scholars have still not made this declaration.

Before 1947, under the influence of the Muslim League movement, the idea was deeply implanted in the minds of all Muslims that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations. That same mindset, consciously or unconsciously, continues till date.

To bring both communities into the national mainstream, the first step must be a unified declaration by the scholars stating that national identity is based on homeland. Since the homeland of both Hindus and Muslims is the same, they are therefore one nation.

For the sake of personal benefit, everyone lists Indian as their nationality on the passport form. But when it comes to making this very point as a public declaration, they are not ready. How strange is this contradiction that exists in people’s lives. (Diary, 26 November 1995)