How nationalism can invent enemies, sanctify a militarised consciousness

Children learn the harsh realities of hierarchy, stratification and class division not through books, but through everyday experiences. Do any of them ask: for whom does the nation exist?

The Kendriya Vidyalaya in our locality is not far from my university residence. Every morning as I take my tea and look at the newspaper, the echo of the national anthem – a wonderful gift from schoolchildren – envelops my being. Yet, at this very moment, an anxiety begins to overcome me. Is it merely a school ritual – a disciplinary practice? Or are there teachers who engage with these tender minds, and make them understand the meaning of being part of a nation?

I am anxious because the very idea of nationalism is paradoxical. While it is capable of arousing