Deshabhakti kee Bhaavana

                            

Deshbhakti… the fondness, the faith, love or emotional bond to our country. Images of freedom fighters: Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar all conjure in the mind. 

However, this is the ‘latent Deshbhakti’ we are constantly reminded of maybe once a year and neglected for the rest of the year! Patriotism of our nation is always healthy because that has inculcated a sense of pride for our country; and even extended to included a sense of alliance with other citizens who share the same feeling.It could also include many factors combined to our country such as historical, cultural, ethnic and political aspects.

 It is not, however to be mistaken as 'nationalism' is a system created where people believe that their nation is superior to all others. It is inseparable from powering the main purpose of every nationalist is to gain more power and prestige -not for himself but for his nation. However, in current times, when we talk about patriotism or pride of our nation, it is more like  ‘hamari ghar ki’ bhakti or perhaps, ‘mann ki’ bhakti, don’t you think? 

Time is like quicksand constantly slipping through our fingers;  where we find ourselves constantly engrossed in ruminating over things that we really don't have to! Who has time to think of the country, anymore – really? People spend more time in their houses, making sure that its clean, well designed and spend a lot of time on maintaining mental and emotional well being. 

'Desh… Desh Ki Bhatt', Bohot door hai…. For almost a century was populist political movement pervaded Indian politics and claimed that desh bhakti was actually Hindutva. It referred to the devotion or love for the nation – India: i.e. Hindu values, culture and traditions. Over time, it broadened to include over religions as India became a secular and democratic country.

However, it means different things to different people in our over secularised democracy. Where there are so many diverse religions, it hold different things to people. However, time and time again we are constantly reminded that it is only our Indian Army that has lived up to its tradition of heroism, valour, sacrifice and fortitude. Always standing vigil at the border – prepared for any battle so that the rest of the nation may live in peace, honour and be able to take pride in their nation. 

Time and time again however, our freedom struggle has been used in different industries: the entertainment industry, Indian banks, the Khadi industry,  the Mobile Industry, textile owned brands, etc. All of these companies and many other Indian brands would only discover their latent desh bhakti' around Independence day, (only to increase sales) with great deals.

It’s no surprise that the Indian film industry has a spate of nationalistic films, which are a major source of entity ringing in at the box office every year. Some of the best Bollywood movies till date include Border, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Rang De Basanti, Chak De India!, Lagaan, 1971, Mangal Pandey: The Rising, Chittagong, 1942: A Love Story, Swades, Lakshya, Prahaar, Krantiveer, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, Mother India, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, A Wednesday, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Dangal and many more!


With podcasts, extensive reportage by the minute and think pieces (articles in newspapers, magazines, or journals that present personal opinions, analysis, or discussions, rather than the bare facts), it is easy to get riled up and take immense pride in the intangible entity we call India. 

There is so much to deshbhakti, but the question really is, does it matter to you?