Nationalism and internationalism with rational humanism synergy to balance everything and befriend all without either xenophobia or ethnocentric seclusion.

 The problems are multiple. Basically, as our EAM Jaishankar said, (I think I shared the speech two days back) the West approached everything institutionally which had its positives in terms of bringing in certain uniformity that enabled easy control  i.e. homogenise and hegemonise was the mantra. 

But then, these institutions not only set the rules but also the narratives and constantly repeated them through multiple modes in such a well calibrated manner  that at  a stage people were forced to only believe those narratives as the counter narratives were not anywhere visible in the radar of many folks. 

For example, when I used to visit Madras University library during my pre-university days I was crazy about going through encyclopaedia both general and encyclopaedia of philosophy by Dagobert Runes etc. I used to keep wondering why in none of these books neither Swami Vivekananda nor Sri Aurobindo were even mentioned ( these two because most of  their philosophical and spiritual speeches and talks were in English).

Then, I started hunting down books on Indian philosophy. There too, they were discussing very dry philosophical systems, not something  about great saints and philosophers and their philosophical wisdom presented as basic didactic sermons that could be easily communicated and internalized with anecdotal experiences and episodes or through appealing short stories like the Zen and Sufi tales  that would drive the message more effectively leaving a better impact. 

We have also failed to document a lot of great things about Santhana Dharma and this has led to being fed by Western narratives alone in most cases. 

So, the prism through which the world was perceived, the perspectives which pervaded the precincts of popular academic circles were all oriented towards not the Oriental but the Occidental ( a near fatal accidental experience whose wounds may get healed but the scars will remain). 

So, we need not work hard nor get worked up in trying to obliterate this mishap nor keep singing the refrain of we knew much more than the West much earlier than them ( though this may be or is the fact) but , instead, slowly, steadily and subtly convey our greatness through multiple modes of communication, which are fortunately, easily accessible to many, without either creating friction or fight or fanatical or frustrated venting of anger but fine tuned synergetic means in tune with prevailing contextual relevance. 

This needs real intelligent, subtle nuanced and diplomatic delivery of the message.

Synergy and synthesis are vital because we cannot rewind life and the many things that are well entrenched as part of life.

There are certain beneficial aspects that we have inherited from them and vice versa. They range from language, dress, culture, food, sports and so on. 

In a way a sign of a matured approach is to accommodate and to balance everything and befriend all without either xenophobia or ethnocentric seclusion. 

However, walk tall with pride in one's ancestry and nationalism as well as welcome and become part of the international community with rational humanism.