Yogendra Yadav Writes: What Will We Sing of Now, When We Sing of Patriotism?

New Delhi: What does patriotism mean in India today? For decades, songs, poems, stories and public symbols have played an important role in shaping the country's idea of national identity. But as India changes, the question of what it means to sing of the nation has also become more complicated.

In his latest reflection on patriotism, political analyst Yogendra Yadav argues that creating a new patriotic imagination requires more than artistic creativity. It requires rethinking how India itself is imagined and whose voices are included in that imagination.

Patriotic songs have traditionally celebrated the country's freedom struggle, its diversity, sacrifices made for the nation and the aspirations of its people. They have provided a shared language through which different generations could express their connection with India.

But the idea of a shared national story becomes more complicated when large sections of society feel that their experiences and voices remain outside the dominant narrative.

Yadav's argument centres on the need to recognise these voices rather than treating them as peripheral to the national story. India is made up of communities with different histories, languages, cultures, identities and experiences. A meaningful idea of patriotism, therefore, cannot depend on a single version of what the nation represents.

The challenge is particularly relevant at a time when debates over nationalism and patriotism have become increasingly visible in public life. Questions about identity, citizenship, social justice and belonging often intersect with competing definitions of what it means to be loyal to the country.

A patriotic song, in this context, can no longer simply celebrate an idealised image of India. It must also acknowledge the country's contradictions and the struggles of people whose experiences have historically received less attention.

This does not necessarily weaken the idea of patriotism. Instead, it can make patriotism more inclusive by allowing people from different backgrounds to see themselves as part of the same national story.

India's diversity has always been one of the defining features of its national identity. From tribal communities and linguistic minorities to workers, farmers, women and marginalised social groups, millions of people contribute to the country's story in different ways.

A new imagination of India would therefore need to bring these experiences into the centre of the national conversation.

The question of patriotism is ultimately not only about flags, songs or slogans. It is also about the kind of country people want to build and whether every citizen can find a place in that vision.

For Yadav, the task of creating a patriotic song for contemporary India is consequently much larger than writing lyrics or composing music. It requires imagining an India in which multiple voices can coexist and contribute to the idea of the nation.

The future of Indian patriotism may therefore depend on whether the country can create a national story broad enough to include all its people — including those whose voices have traditionally remained at the margins.