Introduction
1.
The Concept of an Indian Identity and Mindset

Since achieving independence from colonial rule in 1947, we Indians have been unsuccessfully grappling with the following
question: Who are we? Are we? This as—yet unanswered question represents India’s identity crisis. The failure to date to resolve this crisis, has not only confused the majority but has also confounded the minorities as well in India. Without a resolution of this crisis, (which requires an explicit, clear answer to the question), the majority will never understand how to relate to the legacy of the nation. In other words, the present dysfunctional perceptional mismatch, between who we are as a people and the legacy of the nation, is behind most of the communal tension and inter-community distrust in the country. Even in other countries such a question arises from time to time. In the United States, following relatively liberal immigration policies since 1965, the question has again arisen. Prof. Samuel Huntington of Harvard has tried to answer this question in his new book: Who We Are?

What is India; and why are we Indians? Is India an ancient nation, a continuing civilization of thousands of years, or is it a relatively recent administrative construct of British imperialists and legalized by the British House of Commons legislation, viz., The Indian Independence Act of 1947? What is the core of India’s ethos; Hindu,Secular or Hindustani? And what does each mean? Citizens of modern India are of course not sure! That is today’s identity crisis.

Unless we answer this question clearly, finally, unambiguously, and authoritatively as to who we are, Indians will flounder, flip-flop, and generally be devoid of healthy patriotism. This is not to suggest that any person’s identity is uni-dimensional. The nature of a person’s questioning mind in a pluralistic democracy makes identity a multi-dimensional concept. But a national identity dimension is an imperative for a nation to become vibrant and dynamic.


to be continued...

( This account is handled by Har-Anand Publication)