Patriotism

      Patriotism is the love for one’s own motherland. This is one of the noblest passions of mankind and the most natural. We are born and brought up in your motherland. We are nourished and nurtured by her. She gives us our food, clothing and shelter. Indeed, for everything we are indebted to her. We derive our whole being from her. The heart of the patriot burns for his native land. The man who has no patriotic feelings in him is a miserable wretch.

      But this love for one’s motherland should not be blind. True patriotism recognizes the follies, foibles and faults of the motherland. It sees to remove them. Selfish and wicked people often exploit patriotism for their own private ends. A true patriot should be aware of such people.

India is our motherland. She is not merely a geographical system of plains and mountains, and valleys and rivers and wastes and wilderness. She stands for our particular racial traits. She stands for our habits, manners, customs and conventions. She stands for our individual beliefs and philosophy. In other words, India means Indian culture and civilization. Our duty is to protect India, to protect her culture and civilization at all costs.

      We must face faults. Our communalism, and provincialism and linguist must go. Petty, self-seeking politics must go. Corruption and inefficiency must go. We must whip our administration up into effective and efficient governing machinery. We must strengthen and modernize our land, sea and our forces. We must do everything possible to make our land strong and ideal. But at the same time we must take care to see that we are serving the ends of truth and justice. Through our national interests we must serve international interests. We must be patriots to be the citizens of the world.