{"id":7320,"date":"2022-09-26T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T10:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uongozi.go.tz\/?post_type=book-reviews&p=7320"},"modified":"2022-10-10T14:44:28","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T11:44:28","slug":"nationalism","status":"publish","type":"book-reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.uongozi.go.tz\/sw\/memoirs\/nationalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Nationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gwamaka Kifukwe<\/sub><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally published in 1917, Rabindranath Tagore\u2019s \u2018Nationalism<\/em>\u2019 remains an insightful critique of the concept of the \u2018nation<\/em>\u2019 and \u2018nationalism<\/em>\u2019. The essay was published at a time of a growing Indian nationalist movement, heartened by the successes of Japan in re-defining its relationship with the Western world. Tagore\u2019s text is a warning to the Indian (and other colonised) nationalist movement to not adopt whole-sale the Western concept of nationalism without understanding its power, purpose and costs when it comes to implementing it in a non-Western context:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is like dressing our skeleton with another man\u2019s skin, giving rise to eternal feuds between the skin and the bones at every movement.\u201d (p. 4)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To modern readers, this text offers much by way of understanding what keeps a nation<\/em>together (and working), and the impact of nations on individuals and (non-Western) societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Tagore the nation is simply \u201cthe political and economic union of a people\u2026 organised for a mechanical purpose<\/em>\u201d (p. 38) where \u201cthe only common bond is usefulness<\/em>\u201d (p. 19). The nation, a Western construct, is unsuitable for India he argues, because of India\u2019s ethnic diversity. Europe, which Tagore presented as a relatively homogeneous region, could more smoothly marshal the collective effort of her peoples because all of her people were essentially the same. India, and Asia more broadly, does not share this attribute as it is much more diverse \u2013 a \u2018weakness\u2019 to the nation \u2013 warns Tagore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nationalist movement in India would have to separate the useful aspects of nationalism and incorporate it into an already well-established Indian society (as Japan seemed to be succeeding at doing). The alternative would be to re-shape Indian society in order to be able to adopt the nation concept. In his view, India is not a nation but as a reaction to colonialism, an Indian nation may be necessary to restore India and her people to dignity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 we had to deal, not with kings, not with human races, but with a nation \u2013 we, who are no nation ourselves\u201d (p. 38)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an important consideration for (public) leaders in Africa as we look to draw strength from our diversity, rather than allow our diversity to continue to challenge Africa\u2019s aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second critique of the nation concept is woven into the language of the text. The nation is presented as \u201cscientific, not human<\/em>\u201d (p. 9) and modern progress as a \u201clumbering structure\u2026 riveted by the iron bolts of efficiency, which runs the wheels of ambition<\/em>\u201d (p. 31). To Tagore, the machine metaphor is extended to its effect on the nationals themselves who are \u201csmothering their humanity under the immense weight of organisations<\/em>\u201d (p. 21). As a result \u201cthe moral man, the complete man, is more and more giving way, almost without knowing it, to make room for the political and commercial man, the man of limited purpose<\/em>\u201d (p. 45).The nation<\/em> should be a tool for society and individuals, not the other way around \u2013 and leaders must be aware of this tension:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the so-called free countries the majority of the people are not free; they are driven by the minority to a goal which is not even known to them.\u201d (p. 85)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nationalism<\/em> is not an attack on Europe or the West. It is however a caution against an uncritical adoption of a Western concept (to a non-Western context) that was making headways at the time and remains relevant today \u2013 in the era where business as usual<\/em>impedes sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the reviewer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gwamaka Kifukwe was the Head of Sustainable Development Programme at the Institute. He also hosted the Institute’s television programmes (Meet the Leader<\/a> and In Focus<\/a>), and was a member of the Resource Centre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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