NATIONALISM, SEPARATISM AND SECESSIONISM

Until very recently, the making of Indian nation was seen as a unilinear, mono-dimensional process manifesting itself in the Indian National Movement. The sole objective of the national movement was to rally all the Indians together to combat British colonialism and establish itself as a nation. The only diversion in the process came from the separatist attitude of the Muslim league which resulted into the partition in 1947 which was not just the division of the country but a bifurcation of Indian nationhood. Moreover, there were other similar communal separatist claims too—from the Akalis and the Hindu Mahasabha. These claims signified the trifurcation of Indian nationhood.
The advent of British capitalism in colonial from was not only destructive but also regenerative to the formation of nationalities. At that time several linguist-cultural communities were in different stages of growth. The Indian Freedom Struggle coincided with the period of awakening of these communities and their graduation to nationalities. The rise of these nationalities manifested themselves in the form of agitation for recognition to their respective vernaculars, separation from advanced nationalities and movement for formation of unilingual provinces. After independence, these movements gained intensity and demanded greater regional autonomy. This book asserts that without the inclusion of these sub-national currents, any understanding of the making of Indian nation would be incomplete.
Most ex-colonial qualities confront perpetual secessionist threats and India is no exception. The roots of secessionist movement can be traced in the polity formation process of the Indian nation. With the change in the character of Indian State, the marginal status accorded to the smaller nationalities and the hegemonic designs of the majorities led many of these nationalities to question the legitimacy of Indian rule over them. They appropriated the nationalist discourse and started demanding independent nationhood for themselves. While Pakistan succeeded in seceding from India, many such claims continue to rise and threaten the integration of the nascent Indian nation.