Four Definitions of Nationalism

Nationalism was a matter of deliberation in the 19th century. It is different in Western Europe and Eastern and Central Europe. Western Europe is recognized as citizen nationalism, and nationalism is also seen as an imperialistic and economic movement. However, in East and Central Europe, there are many types of nationalism, such as nationalism, aimed at achieving ethnic liberation and unification. Benedict Anderson has a theoretical definition of nationalism aimed at modifying the previous definition of nationalism and creating a single universal nationalist theory.

Nationalism is a concept that is not easy to define. There are many definitions and forms of nationalism, many of them even overlapping. However, there is no more appropriate definition than other definitions. Keep in mind that these definitions are evolving and that a clearer definition of nationalism can be obtained through thorough analysis and collocation of the arguments advocated by the eight famous scholars. First of all, the most well-known definition today is Professor Anthony Smith. He believes that nationalism is "an ideological movement used to achieve and maintain autonomy, unity and identity of some people and that those people constitute real or potential states" (Smith, 2001). In this definition, Smith reveals what he believes is that the three main goals of nationalism are autonomy, the unity of the people, the identity of the people.

What is confusing is the definition of nationalism in our country as well as the definition of Indian anti-nationalism. Anti-nationalism behavior is seen as threatening the unity of the people. Communism and regionalism have always been regarded as anti-nationalism behavior in India. Our Constitution insists that India is a secular state, but we have yet to establish a worldly society. Without proper adjustment, the confrontation between Indian majority and ethnic minorities continues to increase, causing violent outbreaks and regional riots. Communists use religion as a means of pursuing their political ambitions. They try to promote the interests of their own religious community in ways that do not encourage the interests of people who believe in different religions. Therefore, they promote intolerance to other religious beliefs.