Aswin T.P | University of Kerala (original) (raw)
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Papers by Aswin T.P
Journal of polity and society, 2024
Gaandhi Maarg Journal, 2024
Nationalism is undoubtedly one of the most cherished political ideals in the modern world. It has... more Nationalism is undoubtedly one of the most cherished political ideals in the modern world. It has been incarnated both as a destructive force as well as a progressive, constructive force throughout history. In post-colonial countries like India, the nationalist discourse is pivotal in understanding the crux of social life. Among the great line of nationalist thinkers in India, Tagore occupies a unique space. His relationship with nationalism is quite intriguing. While everybody in colonial societies considered the nation the ultimate political salvation, Tagore was moving against the current. Not only did he provide an incisive critique of nationalism, but he also projected the organic social life of pre-colonial India as a possible alternative. While Tagore remains a moral critique of nationalism, he accepts an alternative idea of the nation as a civilizational category. This paper tries to investigate Tagore's concept of nation with a critical perspective. Within Tagore's projection of the nation as a harmonious, transcendental unity, certain groups are silenced and made passive. Tagore's essay 'The Ideal of Marriage' gives us a glimpse of his patriarchal bias in nationalist imagination. This will provide fresh insights into Tagore's concept of nation and nationalist discourses in India.
Journal of polity and society, 2024
Gaandhi Maarg Journal, 2024
Nationalism is undoubtedly one of the most cherished political ideals in the modern world. It has... more Nationalism is undoubtedly one of the most cherished political ideals in the modern world. It has been incarnated both as a destructive force as well as a progressive, constructive force throughout history. In post-colonial countries like India, the nationalist discourse is pivotal in understanding the crux of social life. Among the great line of nationalist thinkers in India, Tagore occupies a unique space. His relationship with nationalism is quite intriguing. While everybody in colonial societies considered the nation the ultimate political salvation, Tagore was moving against the current. Not only did he provide an incisive critique of nationalism, but he also projected the organic social life of pre-colonial India as a possible alternative. While Tagore remains a moral critique of nationalism, he accepts an alternative idea of the nation as a civilizational category. This paper tries to investigate Tagore's concept of nation with a critical perspective. Within Tagore's projection of the nation as a harmonious, transcendental unity, certain groups are silenced and made passive. Tagore's essay 'The Ideal of Marriage' gives us a glimpse of his patriarchal bias in nationalist imagination. This will provide fresh insights into Tagore's concept of nation and nationalist discourses in India.