The Nationalism Debate, Concerns, and Constitutional Response

Today, we find ourselves in a situation where identity has returned as a political force and there is a rejection of multicultural values. There is a raging debate on what nationalism implies and means to its citizens. There are groups that advocate a relook at history, culture, and education. They believe that India should be defined not in western liberal terms, but in what are termed as ancient civilizational values. However, the Indian brand of nationalism must be based on Constitutional nationalism. This form of nationalism is distinct as it demands a citizen\u27s allegiance not to any religion or school of thought, but only to the constitutional ethos. Most importantly, this idea of nationalism is in line with the idea of India as was envisaged in the Indian National Movement that moulded the common nationality of Indians for the first time, and has been informed by the history of our rich pluralistic civilization