Contents
 What is nationalism?
Revealing
Nationalism
Dr. M. Emdadul Haq
9th March 2018
What is Nationalism?
 Nationalism is a we feeling, or ‘imagination’
of a specific political community.
 This leads to an identity & state of mind of a
population.
 Homogeneity of race, religion, & ethnicity.
 Commonality of traits: shared language,
culture, traditions & history etc.
 It is an ideology, a doctrine, a sentiment that
originates from the long heritage of a nation.
 Rejection of foreign occupation or domination
as illegitimate.
How Old is Nationalism?
Nationalism evolved in the Indian sub-
continent following a tri-dimensional
approach:
 Influence of the Western education
 Impact of the ‘Divide & Rule Policy’ pursued
by the British throughout the colonial period.
 Tradition of anti-colonial struggles in Bengal
& elsewhere: Revolt of 1857
How old is nationalism?
 Major ingredients: Patriotism, culture, language,
heritage, common history, racial & ethnic origins,
geographical identity, threat posture & political

ideology.
Multiple forms: Civic, Ethnic, Romantic, Cultural,
State, Religious, Arab, Hindu, Anti-colonial, Banal,
Expansionist, Radical, Liberation, Ultra, Stateless,
Minority nationalism
 Bengali cum Bangladeshi nationalism: Debates
 Concluding remarks:
How Old is Nationalism?
 Greek nationalism in ancient world
 British nationalism: King Henry VIII founded the
Church of England in 1534 by abandoning
connection with the Roman Papacy & facilitating
the rise of British nationalism subsequently.
 American nationalism: The Declaration of
Independence in 1776
 The French nationalism: French Revolution, 1789
 The Chinese nationalism: The Opium Wars
 World War I: Nation states in Europe
 World War II: Nation states in Asia, Africa & Latin
America
Ingredients of Nationalism
Preconditions by Anthony D. Smith on
ethno-symbolist approach:
 A fixed homeland: in the form of state
 High autonomy: Independence
 Hostile surroundings: Israel
 Memories of battles: Palashi & 1971
 Sacred centers: National monuments
 Languages & scripts: Spoken & writing
 Special customs: Socio-cultural & religious
 Historical records & thinking
 Powerful common mythology: Ramayan, Baghabat
Gita & Mahabharat in India.
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 Ingredients of Nationalism
Three characteristics:
1. Rooted in ‘identity politics’: Seek to
establish the national identity among its
members by denying the occupation forces.
2. Seek control over territory: Achieving
national sovereignty or autonomy within a
demarcated territory.
3. Economic development: Secure &
maximize economic benefits from the global
economy that are siphoned off by the colonial
powers previously.
Major Forms contd.
 State Nationalism: National identity based on the
existing state boundaries, i.e., Bangladeshi
nationalism.
 Religious Nationalism: Primarily based on
religious identity, i.e., Hindus & Muslims in the
Indian sub-continent.
 Arab Nationalism: Solidarity among the Arabs to
deny Israel & western influence in the Muslim Middle
East.
 Hindu Nationalism: Strong belief in Hindutva as
nationalist agenda, discourses, & institutions over
the state & society in modern India.
 Anti-colonial nationalism: Rejection of colonial
rule & their exploitation in the non-western
territories.
Major Forms contd.
 Ultra-nationalism: Promotion of strong nationalist
identity based on racial supremacy, i.e., Nazism in
Hitler’s Germany.
 Stateless Nationalism: Nationalist feeling among
the oppressed groups in the society besides the
mainstream nationalistic conception, i.e,. Khalistan
movement in India.
 Minority Nationalism: Sub-state national group,
seeking either greater autonomy or secession from
the state in which they live, i.e, Kashmiris in India.
 Supra-State Nationalism: Build or intensify a
supra-state identity in order to win greater political
or economic power, i.e., EU
 Pan-Islamic Nationalism: Turkish Khitalfat
(1517-1922) maintained in the Islamic world.
Major forms
 Civic nationalism : People enjoy equal & shared
socio-economic & cultural values & rights, & show
allegiance to similar political procedures.
 Ethnic nationalism: Hereditary or blood/DNA
connection among the members of the community.
 Romantic nationalism: Celebration of the
indigenous culture by new generations as an ideal,
i.e. Lalon folklore.
 Cultural nationalism: Cultural identity widely
disseminated among the entire community.
Experiences of Pohela Boishak or Bashanto Utshob in
in Bangladesh.
Major Forms
 Banal nationalism: Visible expressions to shape
up people’s minds on a daily basis, i.e., paying
respect to national flag & anthem.
 Expansionist nationalism: Spreading nationalist
aspirations among people living overseas, i.e.,
Indians in Fiji.
 Radical or revolutionary nationalism: Marxist
theory of ‘world revolution’ reinterpreted by Lenin &
Mao for forming socialism in one country i.e., Russia
& China respectively.
 Liberation nationalism: Establishing self-
determination by liberating from the occupied forces
& their persecution.
Bengali Nationalism
 Creation of a distinct Bengali identity by Pala rulers in
Bengal by patronizing Bangla language & literature
during 750 – 1174 AD.
 All India National Congress sponsored the spirit to
repeal the Partition of Bengal terming it as the
‘dissection of mother’ or united Bengal during 1905-
’11.
 The national anthem written by Poet Robindranath
featured the image of the land as ‘Golden Bengal ‘
during the same time.
 A secular identity emerged in East Pakistan for
establishing Bengali as the state language during the
early 1950s.
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 Bengali Nationalism
 Rejection of ‘Two Nation theory’ as communal upon
which Pakistan was founded in 1947.
 A secular nationalist identity based on Bengali
language, culture & ethnicity leading to the
Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
 ‘Jai Bangla’ & ‘Joi Bangabandhu ’ are the popular
slogans used in line with the spirit of Bengali
nationalism.
 Articulated by Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy, Maulana
Bhashani & Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman.
 Shaheed Minar & national monument are the symbol
of national unity.
 Ekushey Granthamela has been playing a pivotal
role in promoting Bengali identity among the wider
community.
Bengali Nationalism
 Emerged for distinguishing Bengalis from non-
Bengalis in Pakistan (1947-’71).
 Pahela Baishakh, Boshonto Utshab etc are symbols of
cultural identity & celebrations.
 Exponents are uncomfortable with the excess of
religiosity in politics in the country.
 Bengali nationalism was made State principle in the
constitution of 1972 & reinstated again in the 15th
amendment in 2014.
 Bengali nationalism overlaps millions of Bengalis who
live across the border in West Bengal & Tripura in
India, but marginalize the identity of the ethnic
minorities within the country.

Bangladeshi Nationalism Bangladeshi Nationalism

 The citizens of the country constitutionally came to
be known as Bangladeshi since its independence.
 This identity is used in the national passport of the
citizens.
 Bangladesh’s territorial identity was reflected in the
national flag during the liberation war in 1971.
 Initially expressed by Manobendra Narayan Larma in
the Bangladesh Jatio Sangsad on 23rd January 1973.
 He argued ‘as a citizen of Bangladesh, I am
Bangladeshi, but back home I have a separate
entity; whereby I am a Chakam, not a Bengali’.
 Include almost all the 60 ethnic minorities that are
neither Bengali nor Muslim, yet Bangladesh as their
native home.
 In 1977, President Ziaur Rahman advanced this new
geo-political & state identity through the 5th
amendment of the Bangladesh Constitution.
 Vast majority of the political parties in Bangladesh
generally support this political identity.
 Critics point finger to the ‘communal’
dimension of the issue.

Conclusion
 The idea of nationalism worked distinctively among
the population of Bangladesh in different time
dimension during 1905-’11, in 1946-’7 and in 1971.
 Culturally 90% people in Bangladesh are Bengali-
Muslim & by state identity all are Bangladeshi.
 Both Bangladeshi & Bengali nationalism are
complement to each other.
 On the basis of linguistic identity 99% people are
Bengali, but from geo-political perspective people are
recognized as Bangladeshi.
 Followers of both versions pay respect to Language
Movement, National Flag and Liberation War martyrs.
 Economic advancement should be the prime focus.