What does Being Indian Mean
What does Indian identity mean in light of Partition, the Muslim question, and conflicting nationalist visions from Gandhi to Savarkar to Nehru?
Nationality is one of the most important identities that a contemporary man carries. And this identity is often embattled, with internal conflicts and objections that others raise about it. The Indian national identity is also a contested one. And it is not simply the outsiders who present a conflicted view, but also most insiders. “The Idea of India” remains a hot debate even amongst the ‘nationalists’, because from great influential figures like MK Gandhi, to great nationalists like Veer Savarkar, to the first Prime Minister of India, the idea of India and the Indian identity has had conflicting views and definitions.
Central to this idea is the ‘Muslim question’, especially after the Partition. That when the Muslims chose Pakistan as their State, based on only their religious identity, how should they be incorporated (or not) in the definition of ‘being Indian’? This big question explores all the dimensions of this controversial question in detail, bringing in the views of a wide variety of stakeholders.
