The concept of Bharat is not akin to the philosophy of European nation-state. Bharat, and by that effect, Bharatiyata is an amalgamation of plural identities that co-exist in our civilisational culture. Most glaring peculiarity regarding the formation of Bharatvarsha is the acceptance of the others as they are. In fact, the modern sociological connotation of Others was not prevalent in the pre-British Bharat. We were an identity-driven civilisation that expressed itself through a bigger identity of being the Bharatis (children of the Bharatmata- our motherland). It was (in fact it is) like an assortment of fruits in a basket.
Materially inclined minds shall find it hard to decipher the concept of Bharati. We, as a nation, considered our motherland as an omnipotent nourisher. She was not a mere land resource for us. The emotional connection was best worded by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the immortal paean for his motherland “Vande Mataram.” Understanding this cultural construct is necessary to appreciate the underlying variety within the Bharatiya ecosystem. Respecting the different identities without suppressing them under the ultra-nationalist juggernaut is the foundational value of Bharatiya ethos.
Hinduness (an integral component of Bharatiyata), in its original purport, means respecting the independence of others. It does not mean that it is a meek surrender to powerful forces. Bharatiyata, coupled with Hinduness, presents the possibility of seeing the goodness in others. So much so, that possibility of the union of the differently existing goodnesses is always there. Bharat, since times immemorial, has been guided by the principles of liberal learning. What can be nobler than the exhortation Aano bhadra krtavo yantu viswatah (Let the noble thoughts come to me from all directions, Rig Veda)! Unlike Macaulay who denigrated Indian knowledge to be equivalent to a single shelf of a good European library, our civilisation respected the intellectual identity of all those who were contemporaneous to it.
It was under this guiding principle of mutual respect and harmonious existence that we sheltered others when they sought our assistance (Parsis and Jews, for instance). However, we failed to understand the other sinister designs despite being looted for 17 times (Somnath plunder). It indeed was a departure from the principle of self-defence(atm raksha). While we expected others to play by our rules, they were guile enough to superimpose their ways on the Bharatiya ethos. Instead of assimilation, what resulted was a conflictual existence. Only saving grace today is that the basic paradigm of Bharatiyata is still intact. It has been possible only because of diverse identities that we had nurtured for centuries. Had it been a monistic culture, we would have lost our identity altogether by the superimposition of the identity of others.
Today, the concept of Bharat faces a veritable threat from the propensity of the so-called nationalists to align with the concept of the modern nation-state. Such a state cannot exist without the imposition of the singularity of identity. Marketisation of nationalism as a political tool that is often eulogised in the name of the service of the nation is not the dharmic way of existence. The philosophy of Bharat enabled myriad identities to interact with each other. This resulted in the creation of some commonalities. These commonalities, in turn, provided the dots, by joining which, we created the overarching entity called Bharatmata.
However, blinded by the jingoistic version of nation building we tend to astray in our mission of realising the Bharatiya identity. Bharatiyata needs symbols to propagate and sustain itself. However, it is not that shallow to require continuous reaffirmation in form of waving flags and boasting its strength. As our values guide us to be more grounded like boughs of a tree laden with fruits, we also have the dictum that asks us to use saam daan danda bheda to achieve our worldly objectives. It must be understood that suppressed identities are like volcanoes that only destroy when they find a vent. Hence, a balance of realpolitik and idealism is necessary for making the unique experiment of Bharatiya nationalism a successful exercise.
The Bharatiya way of life has been that of seeking harmony and resolving dichotomies rather than aggravating them. We, as a culture, have never been guided by repression. It is, therefore, necessary that we must not fall prey to the colonial construct of supremacy. If we try to suppress the identity of those constituting the Bharatvarsha, the whole edifice is bound to crumble. We, as a nation, must exist not in the European but Bharatiya way. Let’s strengthen it by reinforcing our original paradigms adapted to present day needs rather than imitating the American or Anglo-Saxon way of governance.
Imitating without application of sensibility makes us weak. Weak tends to imitate the strong. The strength of Bharat depends on its ideological roots. We need to conserve, redefine and assert ourselves as Bharatis because Bharat is a civilisational force that needs an expression to realise its true potential. An expression that is a kaleidoscopic blend of identities and not a single bland nation. Deracinated societies and nations are bound to perish. We are not and should not become like them. Our diversity from Himalaya to Bharat Mahasagar and Pratichi to Ishan is our strength. We must fortify it further to make a stronger Bharat. A Bharat, that propagates peace not because it is weak but for its capability to enforce it owing to its civilisational (social, economic, political and cultural) strength.
Just like the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati to form Sangam at Prayag, various identities must intermingle effortlessly to constitute a Bharat, the eternal Guru of the strife-torn world.
Jai Bharat!
– Prashant
Small City Thinker 
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