Nation and Nation-Worship in India

Jalalul Haq

Nation and Nation-Worship in India - New Delhi Genuine Publications Pvt Ltd 1992 - 338 p. HB 22.5x14.5 cm.

The book attempts an in depth study of the two secular schools of ‘Hindutva’ and ‘Composite nationalism’ which enjoy the status of being two mainstream theories of national political behavior. In a nutshell, the study concludes though apparently at odds with each other, the two have at bottom fundamental similarities because Sarvarkar and Nehru who represented the two schools respectively shared a common outlook on most of the vital issues of life and world. For one thing, they both suffered from a deep schizoid in being hardcore rationalists and agnostics and at the same time being addicted to an irrational and romantic worship of past history. They also adopted metaethical approach in carving more for ‘the great’ than for ‘the good’ while making assessment of a given idea. The basic claim of the author in the book is that the national doctrine can shed its parochialism only when subordinated to an overriding philosophy of humanism based on the spiritual nature of man and not vice versa.

8185220093


Secularism
India
Politics and government
Hinduism and state

306.6945 / HAQN