Free speech and the free exchange of ideas are the hallmarks of a democracy. Newspapers in a democracy serve as revered platforms that should facilitate the expression of diverse viewpoints within the bounds of civility, even if the establishment does not endorse those opinions.

A major newspaper is currently hosting a heated debate on the prevailing nationalism in India. However, what is particularly troubling is that the expositions of Hindutva, or Hindu Nationalism, are often one-sided. These pieces are typically written not by its proponents or even objective critics, but by its adversaries who openly display their counter-ideologies.

These essays often suffer from a lack of knowledge, distort facts, and rely on biased logical analyses. The result is a flawed but convenient conclusion that satisfies the preconceived notions of Hindutva’s detractors. Three articles that recently appeared in that newspaper fall into this category: Yogendra Yadav’s “The nationalism we forgot" (Indian Express, May 27), Suhas Palshikar’s “Who stole my nationalism?" (IE, May 31), and Akeel Bilgrami’s “The nation, the state and the other: Hindutva’s imprint on nationalism in India" (June 16, IE). Thus, I feel compelled to present a rejoinder that is both historically accurate and rationally robust.

Yogendra Yadav writes: “The nationalism we inherited from our freedom struggle was very different. To borrow an expression from John A Powell, Indian nationalism was about ‘belonging without othering.’ It sought to build the nation by creating a deep sense of national belonging without inventing external or internal enemies. This Indian nationalism is under assault today. The newfangled nationalism cannot think about fostering a sense of belonging without an aggressive campaign of othering."

Akeel Bilgrami adds: “Yogendra Yadav (IE, May 27) stresses a familiar distinction between two nationalisms. He invokes a vivid label — ‘belonging without othering’ — to characterise the distinction. The nationalism pursued in the freedom struggle exemplified this label. The nationalism in Europe precisely did not, neither does the nationalism in currency in India today."

This inference about ‘othering’ in........

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