DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 20 (MExN): Dr. Susmita Dasgupta, economist at the Ministry of Steel has stated that India loses the opportunity to enrich itself by ignoring the regional history like that of the Nagas.
She stated this on September 17 during a talk organized by the Naga Scholars’ Association (NSA) at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.
Dr. Dasgupta stated that the idea of India needs to be widened, deepened, expanded and should be able to promote multiple nationalities within. Indian needs to appreciate and endorse every aspect of human race coming to India, and that is how India is created, she said.
She further stated that the Constitution of India has given enough space for the promotion of diversity, and expressed belief that Indian nationalism is unique in the sense, unlike the European construct of nationalism based on oppressive uni-dimensional discourse. Dr. Dasgupta added that Indian nationalism is a product of confluence of civilizations.
India, she stated, is a nation because “we keep adding on,” and urged upon Indians to be rooted together “because we need to have common journey, and we are like co-passengers and co-pilgrims.”
She added that India needs the strength together from every corner of the country to reach a common destiny. She further cautioned that a tradition replete with casteism and oppression is hindrance for the progress of nationalism. She rather propagated the promotion of multiple nationalities and identities.
Dr. Dasgupta however posed three challenges. These included that the law, which she said is an abstraction, second is the failure of education system, and the third is industrially led economy. “If my entire being is abstracted for the sake of law my being is depersonalized, thus, deprived of my beingness in public domain. Also, uniform education system and common syllabus failed to capture the situational relations and local needs,” she stated.
She added that India is not growing because “our idea of self is fragmented and that discourages ones’ true existence.” Dr. Dasgupta urged that identities, say, the Nagas, Punjabis, Tamils, Assamese etc. as Indian must be encouraged to grow.
However, she lamented India as a nation has failed to make the citizens a productive agent through economic cycle which otherwise has the potentiality to help in shaping India. She expressed that the idea of Indian nationalism should give space and accommodate everyone to assert their identity.
