‘No need to be an apologetic in being nationalist’

• In some other countries, people may shy away from saying so because of it being looked at negatively
• In many countries, nationalism and internationalism are opposite to each other
• In America or Europe, they won’t say Christian nationalist… these adjectives are reserved for us

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday slammed the foreign media over the use of adjective like ‘Hindu nationalist’ for the current Indian government, but the same news outlets won’t use “Christian nationalist” for the governments in western countries.

“If you read foreign newspapers, they use words like Hindu nationalist government. In America or Europe, they won’t say Christian nationalist… these adjectives are reserved for us. They don’t understand that this country is ready to do more with the world and not less with the world,” said Jaishankar.

According to ANI, he said: “So next time you read it, ask yourself, how wrongly are they reading me that they actually do not understand that this country is getting ready to do more with the world, not less with the world.”

When he was asked if other nations too could emulate the approach of following nationalism and internationalism together, he said “You know in our country, one of us might proudly say – ‘I am nationalist’. In some other countries, people may shy away from saying so because of it being looked at negatively. In many countries, nationalism and internationalism are opposite to each other. But in our county, we gave vaccines… each one of us when we read that people in other countries thanked us, did we not feel good?”

He further elaborated: “If you look at the last 9 years, there is no doubt that government and politics of the day are more nationalistic…I don’t think there is anything to be apologetic about it. The same nationalist people have helped countries abroad and moved forward in disaster situations in other countries.”

He was speaking at event in Pune on the occasion of the release of his English book “The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World,” which has been translated into Marathi as ‘Bharat Marg’. The book was released by Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM