Table of contents:-
Personal Information
Assignment Details
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Nationalism
Cosmopolitan Interpretation
Conclusion
References
Personal Information:-
Name:- Divya Bharatbhai Jadav
Batch :- M.A.sem 3 ( 2024- 2025)
Email Address:- divyajadav5563@gmail. com
Roll number:- 7
Assignment Details:-
Topic:- Nationalism as a Modern Threat: A Nationalism Cosmopolitan Interpretation of Tagore's “The Home and the World”
Paper:-201: Indian English Literature – Pre-Independence
Subject code:- 22406
Submitted to:- Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar
Date of Submission:- 20 November
2024
About Assignment:- In this assignment I will try to define The Nationalism as a Modern Threat: A Cosmopolitan Interpretation of Tagore's “The Home and the World”
Abstract
As the calls for global peace and peaceful coexistence grow louder, nationalism, often tearing apart the oldest and largest democracies, emerges as one of the formidable menaces to mankind today. It is a resurgent force in major democracies across continents. In Asia and. particularly in the Indian subcontinent, it emerges in response to the colonial hegemony and the emulation of Western values. But it soon assumes a religious dimension. Tagore, in its rise as a global phenomenon, sees a threat to global peace and fraternity, an onslaught on human dignity, and calls it a 'destructive enthusiasm, an 'epidemic of evil, an edifice of illusions, and moral annihilation. Against the background of fragile peace and shattered human existence. This study investigates how nationalism dehumanises people, kills a human character, distorts. perceptions, divests them of moral ideals, reduces a man's life to a mechanical existence, and releases a demon of nationalist violence by using text analysis as its research method. The study shows how the author's cosmopolitan vision is capable of guiding mankind in these troubled times. Besides, it shows how his vision can help people overcome this mass delusion and foster global understanding and peaceful coexistence.
Keywords:
cosmopolitanism; cultural supremacy; dehumanisation; destructive enthusiasm; hindu nationalism
Introduction:
One of the formidable menaces threatening the peaceful coexistence of mankind today is the rise of nationalism. Even countries known for their values of pluralism, democratic ethos, and culture of tolerance are threatened by the ugly rise of nationalism. The US and India, the oldest and largest democracies, respectively, witnessed in the last decade a sudden departure in the pursuit of their cherished values. The US made a return to its core values after the white supremacists lost power in the last presidential election.
However, India continues to witness the consolidation of the nationalist forces, with democratic institutions often looking the other way in the wake of these forces making claims to power and encroaching on spaces for freedom and Individual liberty.
The concept of nationalism is closely linked to the emergence of the concept of the nation-state in Europe. In the 19th century, Europe witnessed certain developments that encouraged and promoted an urge for shared and collective existence. As Industrial production increased and trade accelerated, new classes of professionals, industrialists, and businessmen emerged. Among these working classes, the idea of national unity took root and gained popularity. The change in social foundations and the epochal shift from an agricultural economy to that of industry gave further impetus to this slowly developing national consciousness . However, with time, the Idea began to develop a certain kind of exclusivity, prioritisation, and local self-sufficiency. It came to embody the aspirations of an ethnically uniform territory. Over time, the idea of a common language, religion, cultural values, folklore, and mythology became the mainstay of nationalism. Though many theorists prophesied that nationalism would eventually give way to globalisation, it instead began to personify hegemony, aggression, and cultural onslaught. The two world wars further strengthened this cultural divide, as "ethnicity and nationalism have grown in political importance in the world, particularly since the Second World War" (Smith, 1996).
Unlike Europe, nationalism in the Indian subcontinent emerged both in response to colonial encounters and In emulation of Western culture. However, the 19th-century religious reforms in the Indian subcontinent gave a religious dimension to this purely secular concept of Western nationalism. By the middle of the 19th century, a certain kind of religious and cultural identity had begun to assert itself . The religious reformers Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, and Rammohan Roy sought to build India's cultural unity around religious texts-the Upanishads and the Vedas. The writers, like Bankim Chandra and Upadhyay took it further and gave it a militant religious dimension. Bankim Chandra's Anandamath, often thought of as the bible of Hindu nationalism, denigrates Muslims, Iconizes India as a mother, Imagines a Hindu nation, and talks of a religious crusade against Muslims. The partition of Bengal, the Swadeshi movement, and increasing religion. aggression by the Hindu right to shape India into a Hindu imagination left Tagore extremely disillusioned and disenchanted, Finding that things were taking a violent turn, he disengaged and dissociated himself from the movement but chose to continue guiding the nation and the world through his art and writings.
1 ) Tagore's Cosmopolitan Worldview and Denunciation of Nationalism:
Tagore's cosmopolitan vision and the ideals of humanism developed in response to the emergence of this mass delusion as a formidable force around the middle of the 19th century. In his understanding, the rise of nationalism posed a threat to mankind and to its ideals. When India began to show an eagerness toward Hindu nationalism, he became disillusioned. He denounced the efforts of Hindu nationalists to shape India Into Hindu imagination.
Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy of cosmopolitanism must be seen in the context of nationalism emerging as a mass delusion in general and Hindu nationalism as a formidable force in the Indian subcontinent. His idea of cosmopolitanism envisions a global community and is guided by what it means to be human. The term appeals to universal reason and treats people as belonging to similar units Irrespective of differences in culture, language, and nationality. It presupposes that we owe certain responsibilities and obligations to our fellow human beings as a global family.
Thus, for Tagore, the only way to enter a more meaningful existence of collective human aspiration is by transcendence over the socio-political restrictions of class and caste in society and through reconnection with the marginalised local and regional cultures of India.
2) The Home and the World as a Cosmopolitan and Universal Text:
The text is an illustration of the tussle between cosmopolitanism and nationalism. It describes the rising tide of nationalism as a potential menace, renounces the pursuit of materialism at the cost of the soul, preaches moral ideals that illuminate the human heart, seeks to reinstate human dignity, and embodies timeless values. Festino . correctly observes that the author "condemns this concept of nationalism through the extended metaphor of greed and consequent robbery that pervades the whole novella and leads to its climax". The local and global contexts go side by side in the text. Though it has a cosmopolitan perspective, it also deals with a common man's life and problems in his immediate surroundings. Atkinson finds that the novel describes national pride as incongruous with and incompatible with the vision of human existence as a family. The immediate context is the resurgent Hindu nationalism towards which India has started showing eagerness. Mukherjee notes that the text elucidates the dangers of nationalism becoming popular as a way for posterity to survive.
Nikhil's dialogues and acts represent the universal principles of peaceful coexistence and self-realisation, whereas those of Sandip embody hypocrisy, duplicity, shamelessness, and a certain degree of Machiavellianism. The moral degradation Bimala undergoes, the oscillation she keeps on moving between, and her final spiritual transformation and rejuvenation symbolise the ultimate victory of true human and moral values. Rao notes that "the local and particular, realised through the cultures and landscapes of regional Bengal, becomes a way of entering the realm of the universal". For example, Nikhil's love for the poor facing the brunt of the boycott of British products, refusal to worship the country, tolerance, and respect for Sandip's views, encouraging Bimala to step out of home, allowing Sandip to stay at his house, and above all, his sense of perfect justice-all help us understand the author's cosmopolitan understanding of the world. Sandip uses nationalism to accumulate wealth and power, seduce Bimala, demonise Muslims, and consolidate his support base.
For the novel is a story of education for world citizenship since the entire tragic story is told by the widowed Bimala, who understands, if too late, that Nikhil's morality was vastly superior to Sandip's empty symbol- mongering, that what looked like passion in Sandip was egocentric self- exaltation, and that what looked like lack of passion in Nikhil contained a truly loving perception of her as a person.
3) Bimala's Degeneration Illustrates the Brutalizing Aspect of Nationalism:
Bimala undergoes a metamorphosis from an ideal wife into a ruthless woman who commits a theft in her own house. Her degradation effectively demonstrates how the deviation from moral ideals and the pursuit of this delusion dehumanise and contaminate both an individual and society. She acts as a link between selfish motives and the ideals of morality represented by Sandip and Nikhil, respectively. Her husband describes her as someone who "loves to find in men the turbulent, the angry, the unjust" . Encouraged by him, she steps out of her home but soon finds herself oscillating between the conflicting values and utterly different worldviews of these two men. Rao notes that "her modulating feelings towards the male characters are an allegory for public perceptions of the political efficacy of their competing worldviews". For her, Sandip did not appear merely as an individual but represented "the confluence of millions of minds in the country" . As her interest deepens in the nationalistic cause, she starts idealising him, undergoes a metamorphosis, suffers from turmoil, and finds herself detached from her husband. What is important is that she foresees the dangers but finds herself overpowered by her destructive enthusiasm. She exclaimed with wonder at 'the joy she finds in this unquestioning surrender' and at the 'supreme bliss she finds 'in the thoroughness of self-destruction.
Divine strength had come to me. It was something which I had never felt before, which was beyond myself. I had no time to question it to find out what was its nature. It seemed to belong to me, and yet to transcend me. It comprehended the whole of Bengal .
4) Nikhil Represents the Author's Cosmopolitan Vision and Universal Humanism :
Most of the research studies on Tagore view cosmopolitanism as being demonstrated through the acts and philosophy of Nikhil. Rao finds that "progressiveness is manifested in his (Nikhil) views on gender relations, the welfare of his tenants, and, most crucially for the narrative, his views on nationalist agitation". He spurns the use of force and idealises and celebrates the power of renunciation, for which Sandip describes him as someone 'infatuated with the glory of bankruptcy' . He describes people like Nikhil as 'pale creatures' and 'lotus-eaters of idealism' , as his actions are not guided by any material considerations but by what it means to be a man of true moral character. He is an enlightened man who asserts that truth speaks for itself and cannot be imposed. Atkinson notes that Tagore celebrates the world as it helps one experience the infinite manifestations of the divine, which creates a sense of perfection within us. These are the principles that constitute the cosmopolitan character of Nikhil in the text . Nikhil is endowed with the transforming power of love, global thinking, and a humane heart to realise the sufferings and hardships of the poor and the less fortunate. This is the message Tagore conveys when he says that the time has arrived when people should be ready for the dawn of an era wherein they will discover their true existence and experience true self-realisation and self-fulfilment not through material interests but through unity of spirit and soul.
Even though from childhood I had been taught that idolatry of the Nation is almost better than reverence for God and humanity, I believe I have outgrown that teaching, and it is my conviction that my countrymen will truly gain their India by fighting against the education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideals of humanity.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Tagore's "The Home and the World" offers a timeless critique of nationalism's destructive potential. By exploring the complexities of individual conscience and societal pressures, the novel highlights the dangers of unchecked nationalism and the importance of fostering a cosmopolitan worldview. Tagore's emphasis on universal human values and interconnectedness provides a compelling alternative to the divisive forces of nationalism, urging readers to embrace empathy, understanding, and global solidarity.
References:
Mohammad Jamshed. “ResearchGate .” Researchgate.Net, June 2023, Www.Researchgate.Net, June 2023, www.researchgate.net/publication/372001356_NATIONALISM_AS_A_CONTEMPORARY_MENACE_READING_TAGORE%27S_THE_HOME_AND_THE_WORLD_AS_A_COSMOPOLITAN_TEXT. Accessed Nov. 2024.
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