Research@RSIS Newsletter Feedback Form
The Occlusions of Nationalism: India, Diplomacy, Violence
Dr Deep K Datta Ray Visiting Senior Fellow
Dr Deep K Datta Ray
1
Commissioned by King’s College London for a volume by World Scientific (Singapore), this chapter assess "nationalism". It rides on “history” which renders the present a site for retrieving the past to deliver a future. Yet, unique fieldwork within India’s foreign ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) demonstrates, it is the present where history, and so nationalism, is undone by diplomats, the MEA, and the state. History is irrelevant for no essence is retrieved, and the site for action is the present. Moreover, using nationalism cloaks interest: managing violence by internalising violence. Not only is this taste for violence occluded by nationalism, but its irrelevance is confirmed by the BJP’s foreign policy explanations not resonating with anyone because they are presented in terms incomprehensible. Such occlusions, paradoxes and irrelevancies, is why the utility of nationalism is questioned not only to explain India, but as a heuristic.
| Theme: | Conflict and Stability / Country and Region Studies / International Politics and Security / Non-Traditional Security |
| Region: | South Asia / Global |
| Entity: | RSIS |
