https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/the-other-face-of-patriotism/articleshow/62761944.cms
Way back in 1775, the Scottish diarist and biographer James Boswell tells us the prominent English litterateur Samuel Johnson uttered these penetrating words, “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Those remarks are presented without context, but in other places in Boswell’s epochal “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL D” it becomes amply clear both men are referring to manipulative sloganeering. Boswell records Johnson warning about politicians “disseminating discontent”, and saying “to instigate the populace with rage beyond the provocation is to suspend public happiness, if not to destroy it. He is no lover of his country that unnecessarily disturbs its peace.” Fast forward to 2018 where the peace in India is permanently disturbed, with controversies cynically manufactured to distract the masses from tawdry everyday reality of disastrous misgovernance. Just a few days ago, the findings of the global Environmental Performance Index released at the World Economic Forum in Davos listed India an incredibly bad fourth-worst in the world across ten broad categories including air and water quality, deforestation and sanitation. But instead of headlines about ranking 177th out of 180 countries in this vital area, the media was dominated by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and its absurdly misguided protests about a Bollywood film’s supposed threats to its caste pride. Map the violence, and you can see those places align precisely with those parts of the country suffering the most at this precise juncture in history. Across much of that “cow belt”, unemployment is rising as the economy falters. Climate change has devastated the ability to support agriculture. A grotesquely skewed sex ratio has resulted in millions of “missing women”, greatly exacerbating social tensions. In such a cauldron of disaffection, incendiary appeals to the mob become inevitable political tactics. But even then you still can’t fool all the people all the time, as proven earlier this week in Ajmer, Alwar and Mandalgarh in Rajasthan, where voters rather remarkably reversed the national trend to reject politics of communal division. Bring the focus to Goa, which is so blessed with every natural advantage, including a quality of life and cultural harmony which is the envy of the rest of the world. But even here, the contemporary political cadre constantly tries its luck with the intolerance card. The latest and example is that of speaker of the Legislative Assembly Pramod Sawant, who recently hectored a bemused crowd about “some Goans who still say Viva Portugal”. A full 57 years after the Indian triranga was first officially raised in India’s smallest state, this 45-year-old politician is running scared from the long-departed colonial bogeyman. If Sawant thought he could score easy points with these cheap tactics, he was quickly proven wrong by a torrent of ridicule. On Facebook, the young Panjim resident Rohan Govenkar echoed a consensus when he wrote, “There are two kinds of nationalists in the country. (1) Those who feel that Corruption, Poverty, Malnutrition, Bad Healthcare services, inferior educational standards and filth are the biggest threats to the rise of India. (2) Those who feel that someone chanting slogans of ‘Viva Portugal/ supporting Portugal for a football match are the biggest threat to the rise of India. What kind of nationalist are you?” The sheer disgracefulness of Sawant’s comments stands out especially because of the bonhomie and mutual regard between Narendra Modi and Antonio Costa, as the prime ministers of India and Portugal have accelerated to the warmest ties between any European and Asian country. In the span of just six months last year, they hosted each other. Costa’s rapturous reception in Goa – the land of his forefathers – was matched in fervour by Modi’s welcome in Lisbon, where he was fed Gujarati specialities by the large and successful diaspora community from his state. Narendra Modi has nothing b ut good wishes, and great plans regarding India’s relationship with Portugal, which he describes as “deep historical connections and strong economic and people to people ties” and “strong partners in the international arena.” What is more, with an overseas citizen of India at the helm of Portugal, Modi pragmatically realizes there is no contradiction at all in being an enthusiastic well-wisher of both great countries. This - above all else - is the lesson for Pramod Sawant. In 2018, it is not just “some Goans” but the prime minister and the rest of India that are all joining in to chorus together, “Viva Portugal.”