Nationalism is an ideological belief that living people of certain territory should have a common culture within a sovereign state. France and Britain became nation states via unification of Germany and Italy. At the same time, this procedure carried break-up of existing territorial states into many national units. The best instances in this regard are Russian, Habsburg and Ottoman Empires.
This phenomenon underwent through three phases; first of scholars propagating the idea of a single nation by promoting its language, folklore and history; the second of journalism through publications in the language; and third of political movements strengthening these two doctrines to work for the nation-state. International diplomacy and war were mixed with these factors and such nationstates established themselves.
Nationalism emerged strongly as the prevalent political spirit amid last two centuries. Modern man does not think as an independent, he thinks as German, Italian, French or Pakistani. The single dominant hallmark of modern state is nationalism. Nationalism has led mobilization into self-mobilization effectively. It was the sole promoter of nation-states.
Historians stamp that nationalism is a modern concept. Benedict Anderson and Hobsbawm agree that nationalism is a phenomenon that grew up in 18th century in Western Europe and then spread during 19th and 20th century to other areas of the world. Nationalism is a territorial ideology which is internally unifying and externally divisive.
Anthony Smith tried to divide world into different kinds of routes nationalism adopts in its campaign for creation of nation-state. It took two routes; Gradualist and Nationalist. The former is commonly clash-free and contest-free and in it state took initiative to create conditions for the promotion of nationalism. Nation-states were
formed either by direct state injected patriotism or the culmination of colonization or provincialism where cultures surrendered before imperial power then were granted independence and became nation-states.
Second is nationalist way which is characterized by conflict, violence and earth-moving. Smith divides this violence-ridden route into two sub-routes those of ethnic nationalism and territorial nationalism. The ethnic sub-route is divided into two lanes-based on renewal and succession. Renewal is based on the renewal or revival of a declining ethnic identity like Persia in the 1890s. Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan in 1971 could also come in the same category of cessation.
The question arises what Pakistan has gained from nationalism? The answer is our history. We have spread our narrative of peace and stability in the entire world with the stream of nationalism. Our Nationalism has helped us win and overcome wars, natural calamities, geo-political crisis, domestic and foreign policies. It’s not high time to rest on our laurels, there is still time to learn from East Pakistan disaster when nationalism was hijacked by regional, ethnic and language clashes and we had to lick the dust. We must keep the history in mind and review the hot issues of Balochistan where the rival enemy has once again made efforts to sow the seeds of ethnic and regional differences to disarm it from the federation. Nationalism calls for duty to act.
