The Sense of Collective Belonging

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Q. “Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.” Support the statement. (2015) 

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation. The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. Variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination.  

History and fiction, folklore and songs helped with promotion of nationalism. Literature also helped to arouse national feelings. The ideas of nationalism also developed through the celebration of regional festival. As the national movement developed nationalist leaders became more and more aware of icons and symbols in unifying and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism. 

Q. How did people belonging to different communities, regions or language groups develop a sense of collective belonging in the nineteenth century India? Explain. [SQP, 2020-21, 2016] 

Answer.  

(i) The identity of the nation is most often symbolised with the image of Bharat Mata.  

(ii) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the Motherland.  

(iii) Novel Anandamath inspired ntionalism.  

(iv) Moved by the Swadeshi movement, Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata and portrayed as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual.  

(v) Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore.  

(vi) Icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of Nationalism.  

(vii) During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed. (viii) Reinterpretation of history to instil a sense of pride in the nation.  

Q. How had a variety of cultural processes developed a sense of collective belongingness in India during the 19th century? Explain with examples.  [2019, 16] 

Ans. Collective belongingness:  

(i) History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of Nationalism.  

(ii) Identity of the nation was most often symbolized in a figure or image.  

(iii) The identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata.  

(iv) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Abanindra Nath Tagore created a picture of Bharat Mata 

(v) Vande Matram as a hymn for the Motherland.  

(vi) Folklores and tales gave true picture of Traditional culture.  

Q. How was the sense of collective belonging developed during the Freedom Movement? Explain. [2017] 

Collective belongingness means that people began to believe that they were all a part of the same nation and discovered some unity, which bound them together. Examples of main cultural processes:  

1. Figures or Images: These helped in creating an image with which people could identify the nation. Devotion to this motherly figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism. It was with the growth of nationalism, that the identity of India was associated with the image of Bharat Mata. This image was firstly created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote the song ‘Vande Mataram’ in his novel Anandamath. Then Abanindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata. He was greatly inspired by the Swadeshi Movement.  

2. Movement to Revive Folklore: In the late 19th century, in India, Nationalists started recording folk tales sung by bards and they toured the villages to gather folk songs and legends. In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore himself began collecting ballads, nursery rhymes and myths and led the Movement for folk revival. In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a massive four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales, “The Folklore of Southern India”.  

3. Icons and Symbols: During the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, a Tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed. It had eight lotuses, representing eight provinces of British India and a crescent moon representing Hindus and Muslims. By 1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag. It was also a tricolour (red, green and white) and had a spinning wheel in the centre – representing the Gandhian ideals of self-help.  

4. Reinterpretation of History: Many Indians started looking at the past to discover India’s great achievements. They wrote about the glorious developments in ancient times. This glorious time, in their belief, was followed by a history of decline, when India was colonized. These Nationalists urged the readers to take pride in India’s great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable condition of the life of Indians under the British rule. 

Q. Evaluate the contribution of folklore, songs, popular symbols, etc., in shaping Nationalism during the freedom struggle. [2017, 16] 

In India, the feeling of nationalism is associated with the anti-colonial movement. In the process of their struggle against the colonial yoke, people began to discover their own identity of belonging to one nation. Various folk tales, songs, symbols like tricolor flag gave a sense of identity to the people. It gave a true picture of India’s culture which was so rich and uncorrupted. They served to produce a sense of achievement and to glorify India’s past. They boosted Indians’ self-confidence who then strongly waged a war against the Colonial Rule.  

(i) National song like Vande Mataram instilled a sense of belongingness uniting people from different languages. Identity of India came to be associated with Bharat Mata which was depicted as composed, divine and spiritual.  

(ii) Folk tales, songs, hymns were used by our national leaders to give a sense of pride in our culture. 

(iii) Likewise, khadi, charkha used by Mahatma Gandhi became symbols of agitation and resistance. 

(iv) Folk tales, songs, literature used by nationalists gave a true picture of India’s culture which was so rich and uncorrupted.  

(v) In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore himself began collecting ballads, nursery rhymes and myths.  

(vi) In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a massive four volume collection of Tamil folk tales, ‘The Folklore of Southern India’ which he believed was the national literature.  

Q. Describe the composition of tricolour flag designed during the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal. R [2016, 15] 

Ans. During the “Swadeshi Movement” in Bengal the flag designed was a Tricolour Flag. The two features of the flag were:

(i) The colour of the flag was Red, Green and Yellow.

(ii) It had eight lotuses representing eight provinces in British India.

(iii) It had a crescent moon representing Hindus and Muslims. 

Q. Who had designed the ‘Swaraj Flag’ in 1921? Explain the main features of this ‘Swaraj Flag’. [2016]

Answer:

(i) Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag in 1921.

(ii) It was a tricolour (red, green and white) flag and had a spinning wheel in the centre representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.

(iii) Carrying the flag, holding it aloft, during Marches became a symbol of defiance.

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