When I read that France is embarking on a debate of nationalism, I was surprised. We the Indians are always accustomed to living with differences and the voices of rebels against the nationalism are always dominant in the country, even as the reverence for nationalist activists have never receded. Having said so, we have never defined the national character of an Indian. Living with 3000 ethnicities and 21 scheduled languages, we never can. That is why the announcement by Eric Besson appears ambitious. The country which gave the world three basic words of democracy-Liberty, Equality and Fraternity-is going to redefine its national characters.
According to the the Reuters story, the French government has opened a website for the discussion and it will take place in overseas territories also. It will take place till January 31, 2010. In India, the issue has haunted the country since time memorial. Because of so many diverse communities and so many languages, a homogeneous public following a single code of law has remained a dream till now. Even speaking in terms of French perspective, Pondicherry has more affinity with the French culture than the Indian one. Also, there are regional aspirations what with agitations like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and others. People living in North-Eastern states have never really felt close to the other parts of India.
Can India do away with the dissenting voices by redefining the character? I think so. Even if there is no consensus about the character, at least it will open up a dialogue for the people.
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