Chai Chalk Chatter

India is a very plural Nation-State that allows its citizens to practice their beliefs and subsequent rituals in a reasonably free manner with little interference from the State. While I sing praises of this Nation-State, I have to confess that time and again I, individually, have also been critical of India's structural nuances. Every Nation-State is unique in itself and in their attempt to retain their novelty, they have certain innate traits that are influenced greatly but not limited to, by the history of the particular Nation-State. The problem with such traits though is the fact that they are too idealistic in nature and are rooted in tradition. Interestingly my dilemma today arises from a very minute yet thought-provoking visual of a good number of female school children running, probably because they were late for school, in their school uniform. This, you might think is a very common sight and as was not really of much concern to me. Now what really did catch my eye ...

In my attempt to seek refuge in the thought of being a Bengali, I am not quite sure if I have imagined my community, my conviction is challenged every time I am faced with a dilemma as is prevalent of the times. These are trying times, a time when the entirety of the Citizenship Debate is under consideration. These are times when even the most logical, moderate and learned mind become polarized into asserting what they think is right or wrong but writing this particular piece, I guess I am doing the same too. Mine is an existential crisis which I believe is a product of my readings and contemplation of the concept of Imagined Communities (1986) by Benedict Anderson. Anderson has been able to make me question the concept of ‘the community’ and this is perhaps the reason why I fail to understand a very learned friend of mine when he/ she/ it (let’s try to keep it gender neutral for concerns of anonymity) says, reacting to the observance of the ‘birth anniversary of Rabindranath T...