MAKING OF THE INDIAN NATION

of Mahabharata, the warriors on both sides were of the Hindu religion. In the first and second World Wars, the combatants on both sides were Christians. Babur (the first emperor of Mughal dynasty) had armed confrontations with his co-religionists, finally inflicting decisive defeats on them. The attempt to bring about religious unity in India has had active support right from the time of Akbar (the third Mughal emperor), who bolstered it politically, to present times, when intellectuals such as Dr Bhagwan Das (a contemporary of Jawaharlal Nehru) attempted to solve the problem with his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. But this goal could never be achieved for the simple reason that the assumption that all religions are one and the same is incorrect; and no durable structure can be erected on false premises. It is an undeniable fact that there are differences among various religions. Given these differences, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the adherents of one religion to reach the point of agreeing that the tenets and practices of another religion have an equal value. However, if the adherents of different religions see each other, first and foremost, as human beings, as members of the same human race, they can certainly accord each other equal respect. Through mutual respect, many social benefits can accrue. Attempts at mutual recognition of religious beliefs are futile at best. Let us now look at how history comes into the picture. It is assumed that even where there are people of different persuasions, a common sense of history will produce a common sense of nationhood. And where this is seen to be lacking, it is advocated that such a sense be inculcated. But this would again be an attempt to achieve the possible by means which are impossible. All countries, be they as small as Singapore, or as large as the USA, are inhabited by varied races and ethnic groups. In this respect there are several different strands to their historical heritage. But in none of these countries has there been any attempt to bulldoze people into sharing a common sense of history. Instead, there has been an acknowledgement What is national character? It is, to put it simply, the capacity and the will to hold the interests of the nation supreme in every sphere. If there is a clash between individual and national interests, individual concerns must be subordinated to the greater good of the nation.