THE HINDU EDITORIAL

Nationalism beyond borders, the question of loyalty

Two forms of nationalism

• Territorial nationalism defines the nation primarily through a common territory and citizenship.
• Under this conception, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others living in India constitute one nation.
• Cultural nationalism, in contrast, emphasises a shared cultural or civilisational identity even when people live outside the territorial boundaries of the country.
• The editorial notes that these two conceptions can overlap but may also generate tensions when culture, religion and citizenship are treated as markers of national belonging.

RSS and the idea of cultural nationalism

• The editorial refers to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement that there is no contradiction between being Indian and Hindu or between being a citizen of another country and retaining Hindu identity.
• The RSS’s cultural-nationalist conception views Hindus across the world as part of a broader civilisational community.
• The editorial connects this idea with the cultural symbolism of Bharat Mata and the Sanskrit expression “Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume.”
• This raises an important conceptual distinction:
  • Citizenship → legal-political relationship with a state
  • Cultural identity → sense of belonging to a civilisation/community

The diaspora and the question of dual loyalties

• Around 1.5 lakh Indians reportedly acquire citizenship of another country every year, according to the editorial.
• Many Indians living in countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom continue to maintain strong cultural and emotional connections with India.
• The editorial points out that some members of the diaspora may encounter competing expectations:
  • Loyalty to their adopted country
  • Cultural or ancestral attachment to India
• The issue becomes particularly complex when political disagreements or social conflicts in India are reproduced within diaspora communities.

The ‘internal enemy’ theme

• The editorial traces the idea of an “internal enemy” to V.D. Savarkar’s Hindutva framework.
• In Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu?, Savarkar distinguished between those who regard India as their territory of birth and those who regard it as their sacred land.
• This distinction historically generated questions about the place of Muslims and Christians within the Hindu-nationalist conception of the nation.
• The editorial argues that the idea of an enemy within has continued to appear in parts of Hindutva discourse.
• It also raises a fundamental question: if nationalism is based on cultural or civilisational identity, who qualifies as a full member of that nation?

Nationalism versus citizenship

The central conceptual issue can be understood through three different identities:

Citizenship → Territory → Constitutional membership

versus

Cultural nationalism → Civilisation → Shared identity

• A modern constitutional state generally defines membership through citizenship and equal legal status.
• Cultural nationalism can extend the idea of belonging beyond state borders.
• The challenge arises when cultural belonging is treated as more significant than constitutional citizenship.

Globalisation complicates nationalism

• Migration has made national identity increasingly transnational.
• Indians can simultaneously:
  • Hold citizenship of another country,
  • Maintain Indian cultural connections,
  • Participate in Indian-origin communities abroad,
  • Contribute economically and socially to both societies.
• Therefore, modern nationalism cannot always be understood through territory alone.
• At the same time, diaspora identity does not automatically eliminate the person’s constitutional and civic obligations toward the country of citizenship.

The diaspora dilemma

• The editorial highlights the growing political visibility of Hindu communities in Western countries.
• It refers to the emergence of a political vocabulary around the “janmabhoomi–karmabhoomi” relationship.
• The diaspora therefore presents a difficult question:

Can a person maintain deep cultural attachment to India while being completely loyal to another constitutional state?

• The editorial suggests that this question has become particularly relevant as diaspora politics increasingly intersects with Indian domestic politics.
• It also notes that political mobilisation among overseas Indians can affect perceptions of Indian nationalism abroad.

Colonialism and the spread of Indian nationalism

• The Indian diaspora expanded significantly during the colonial period.
• Indians migrated to different parts of the world as labourers, professionals and traders.
• Wherever Indians settled, strands of the anti-colonial movement also emerged.
• The editorial points to figures such as:
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • V.D. Savarkar
• Both developed important political ideas while spending significant periods outside India.
• Thus, the history of Indian nationalism itself demonstrates that national ideas can travel beyond territorial boundaries.

Nationalism in a changing world

The editorial identifies a broader contradiction:

Nation-state → Territorial citizenship

while simultaneously

Globalisation → Cross-border identities

This creates new questions regarding:

• Loyalty
• Citizenship
• Cultural identity
• Diaspora politics
• Migration
• Religious identity
• Constitutional nationalism

The contemporary challenge is therefore to reconcile multiple identities without weakening the principle of equal citizenship.

Constitutional perspective

From a UPSC perspective, the debate connects directly with India’s constitutional framework:

• Article 14 → Equality before law
• Article 15 → Prohibition of discrimination on specified grounds
• Article 25 → Freedom of conscience and religion
• Article 29 → Protection of interests of minorities
• Article 51A → Fundamental Duties
• Citizenship provisions → Legal relationship between individual and Indian state

The key distinction is between religious/cultural identity and constitutional citizenship.

Way forward

• Preserve equal citizenship irrespective of religion.
• Distinguish cultural affiliation from legal citizenship and civic loyalty.
• Ensure that diaspora engagement does not become a source of social polarisation.
• Strengthen India’s engagement with the diaspora through cultural diplomacy and people-to-people ties.
• Promote a conception of nationalism compatible with constitutional values, pluralism and democratic citizenship.
• Recognise that Indians abroad can maintain cultural links with India while fulfilling their obligations to their country of citizenship.

Conclusion

The debate over nationalism beyond borders reflects the changing nature of identity in a globalised world. Territorial citizenship, cultural identity and diaspora connections need not necessarily be mutually exclusive, but tensions arise when one is used to determine the legitimacy of another. For India, the constitutional principle of equal citizenship and pluralism provides an important framework for accommodating diverse identities while preserving national unity.