Tears of Patriotism

I met with some people. During the conversation, the topic of patriotism came up. The question was raised: Who is a true patriot, and how can one recognize them?

I asked, “Do you know that a mother loves her son, and a trader loves his customer as well?”

They said, “Yes, everyone knows that.”

Then I asked, “Do you know any mother who has wept out of love for her son?”

They said, “All mothers are like that. If a mother hears that her son is in trouble, she will certainly shed tears.”

I said, “Now tell me—do you know any trader who cries for his customer?” They replied, “We don’t know of any such trader.”

I said, “Now let me change the question and ask something else. All of you belong to different political parties. Every party leader claims to be a patriot. Can any one of you tell me which leaders in your party have ever cried over the condition of the country?” Everyone said, “We don’t know of any such leader. Everyone claims to be a patriot, but no one cries for the country.”

I said, “Now listen to my conclusion: The person who weeps in sorrow for the country is a true patriot. And the one who only delivers speeches in the name of the country is a fake patriot.” (Bombay ka Safar, November 1993)