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Thinking On National and Regional Feelings
by Pranab RayChaudhuri
E- mail: pranab.raychaudhuri@gmail.com
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Man is nothing but a type of an animal, specifically a mammal. He is basically individual and
by instinct, gives first (if not only) priority to his own survival. But he is not physically and
mentally capable to survive alone. So, with his intelligence, he has formed a collection where
survival of one becomes easier with the help from the other and vice-versa. The core of
collection is family and various families combined together, for the benefit of all these families
and thereby the individuals in these families, forms a society. Now, basically man is
fundamentally of two biological categories -male and female, who are both required for
instinctive procreation. So, a male and a female and their off springs form the basic family.
Now, this male, this female and their off springs are all individuals having their own mental
make-up and other originalities. However, for the strength of the family, on which depends their
own individual strength of survival, they have to adjust amongst themselves to create an
individual identity for the family. The better this family-identity, the better their individual
survival, as fellow feeling comes best from mutual understanding and adjustment. Now, the
male and female come to this stage only when they are in the family way and not before. So,
without much choice they have to adjust with each other for the sake of the family, which will be
enhancing their chance of self-survival.
Now, in the present days, we have one male and one female and their dependant issues in a
family. However, in the past (and possibly may be in the future, if situation so demands) family
consisted of one male & many females or one female and many males or many males and
many females. Adjustment amongst all the family members was the key word there also. A
small family of one each male and female and their issues may need a small place to stay but
a big family will need a much bigger place. Now, a society consisting of various families will
need a much more larger place. Then also, that society and in turn all its individual members
will always be on threat of natural calamities and attack by other societies and out of
compulsion, these societies will merge together to form a bigger society adjusting their own
individual identities till that society feels secure and independent. Now, the actual size of the
enlarged society depends on the geography of the place and natural resources available
therein. This place may be termed as the country for all the individuals in various small
societies within it. In the long run, in the interest of the members in it, a common individual
identity for the entire country should be established with adjustment of the individual identities
of the various small societies in it. However, the boundary and the nature of the small societies
in a country will keep on varying in ages depending upon the internal needs and external
threats.
We, being Indian at this present time, should have the Indian Identity first and then regional, for
our own betterment. If we feel Bengal as our country or Bhowanipur (a particular locality of a
city named Kolkata in West Bengal) or even Jagubazar (a landmark in Bhowanipur) as our
country, we will suffer, as collective unity will be threatened.
We may have more emotional attachment to the smaller place but many other members in
India in many other regions will have similar greater attachment to their own regions and
internal clashes will be a regular affair, which will undermine the very reason why all these
small regions joined together to form India, which is now having the political self-sufficient
identity accepted by all, specially the external forces, the threat of which made these small
regions to unite. On the other hand, if we try to ask the question whether we can live more
happily in Bengal being our country, then we will have a negative answer as the internal (within
various small societies in Bengal) and external (including Bangladesh where Bengalis live)
threats as well as shortage of some natural resources will kill this thought in the drawing-table.
My heart goes out with someone when he says he feels himself to be a ' citizen of the world '
as I am also having the same feeling. Man should actually be in one society having one
individual identity. Then the country becomes world for the entire humanity. Alas! This is still
not the reality. Here we are known by the citizenship of a particular country. In case, that
someone has now an Indian passport, then, he is an Indian in all sense and that feeling of his
being 'citizen of the world’ is at the moment nothing but a utopia. We must be prepared, in the
larger self-interest of a bigger community, adjust (even sometimes sacrifice, if required) our
own small regional identity. The earlier the individual common identity of India is established,
the better it is for us.
So, I maintain that as long as I am an Indian, I must be proud of any good deeds of another
Indian (or even someone distantly related to India) irrespective of his regional origin, similar to
my feeling if my son or a close relation gets successful in any sphere. Looking at these things
from a regional angle will defeat a greater cause for which we are united in a country.
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