Uncelebrating Indian jingoism

I am aware that what follows is an unpopular opinion and may even be perceived as disrespectful by some. To such people, let me say this at the very start - fuck you. So that we are clear about the idea I am not "trying" to disrespect you, I am disrespecting you.

Almost every alternate Bollywood movie these days is about the army, navy, air force, or some other national security force. The comments sections of their trailers are filled with visible jingoism, the worse sibling of nationalism and the blind cousin of patriotism. I see thousands of people simping after forces and confusing the identity of India with that of the Indian army or navy or air force. The pathetic public display of affection for forces is a somewhat new phenomenon that comes from a pathological awareness of one’s identity and an erroneous understanding of the world.

Before moving to the reason for the rise in jingoism, let's set some facts straight about the forces. As a patriot, I have pride in my country, as I believe everyone does for the country where they were born and raised. As a citizen, I have an appreciation for the service of the people that defend me - although I will come to why I do not think the word "defend" is correct. However, I absolutely do not understand the need for celebrating the security forces. First, they are doing a job of their choice just like several other people. So, whatever pros and cons, including the risk of death, that come with it, they are very well aware of those while taking up the job. Second, several among those in the forces, especially those at the higher levels, are compensated extremely well with subsidized education, heavy pay, free travel and residence, complete healthcare coverage, and lifelong pensions. There is no other professional group in India that gets so many benefits. Third, some might argue that these benefits are justified given their risks and sacrifices. While true, this is a strawman argument when you put it in the wider context and look at the actual data. I'll just provide two comparisons - healthcare workers and sanitation workers. Before you start shitting in the comment section, Google this - how many soldiers have died in the last year or even the last decade. When you look at the numbers it is indubitable that India lost more doctors and nurses in the last 1 year compared to the personnel in the forces in the last 20 years. Deaths among sanitation workers are over 30 times more than those among soldiers. On average 1 sanitation worker dies every 5 days in our country. That's absolutely not what's happening to anyone in the forces. So, while the risk of death and injury is high among those in the forces, it does not even come close to that faced by Indian healthcare or sanitation workers. Coming to sacrifices like "living in cold", "living away from family", and others that old uncles with bribe-filled bellies like to chant - millions of people across the world are making the exact same sacrifices on a daily basis. Examples include truck and bus drivers, field journalists, migrant workers, etc. While important and noteworthy, these sacrifices are in no way exclusive to those in the army or navy.

However, somehow we have inculcated this ridiculous habit of disproportionately celebrating only the contributions of those in the forces. Compared to cheerleading for forces, we have zero regards for healthcare workers. While we respect doctors, we do not celebrate them. In fact, the larger society respects doctors for the wrong reasons - their money, power, and status. And those lacking these attributes face the risk of violence and assaults. India is the only country where citizen-led violence against healthcare workers is a mass problem. Most healthcare workers, working in the private sector do not get any subsidies, free travel or residence, or healthcare coverage, and are never going to get pensions. While rich doctors may still sustain themselves comfortably, nurses and others are always underpaid and overworked. So, for a good average nurse in India, the risk of death is much much higher than that for a soldier, the sacrifices are probably equal (if not more) but the recognition or appreciation is null. I do not need to talk about the status of sanitation workers whose profession is literally used as a form of an expletive (bhangi). These workers live their entire lives in poverty and unsafe environments. The kind of humiliation that society puts them through is criminal. Yet, I do not see movies being made about them. Nor do I see the jingoists celebrate them.

A blanket rationalization is that we all should be grateful because security forces protect us and that they save our lives. This argument is as logical as the plot of Salman Bhoi's film. First, security forces do not protect a large majority of Indians. Intelligence agencies, maybe. Police, yes. But the army, navy, and air force, absolutely not. They cannot because that's not their job. Intelligence agencies can prevent attacks on citizens and local police can protect citizens from local threats. However, if right now, some "enemy" decides to explode bombs in any Indian city, there is very little that your beloved "Siachen mein ladhnewala jawan" ("soldier fighting in Siachin") can do about it. What they can do is avenge your death. If some "foreign enemy" kills 50 Indians, the security forces can ensure that they kill 100 people from that foreign land or kill the perpetrators. That's why I do not believe that they should be called defense forces. A more correct name would be revenge forces. Second, except for rescue missions, they do not save lives. They are not trained for saving lives. In fact, they are trained for exactly the opposite - taking lives. Doctors, nurses, midwives, and pharmacists save lives and bring lives to this earth. Engineers and technologists save lives by creating medical devices that diagnose and cure diseases. Scientists save lives by discovering and inventing drugs and treatments. Taking the life of your "enemy" is not the same as saving your life. Sometimes one can lead to another, but only a very minuscule number of times. Also, the notion that all of these people can only do their jobs if the borders are protected is utterly false. Doctors in war-struck countries still serve their patients and every single person belonging to the above-mentioned professions was actively working for India when India went to war against Pakistan or China. As global history has shown repeatedly, civilians have not and do not stop from their respective missions even when their countries are waging wars. If anything, they contribute even more passionately during difficult times.

Given all these facts, why is it that there is a rise in pathetic jingoism? My cynicism points me to a sinister reason. Anecdotally, I have seen this jingoism largely in the Indian middle- and upper-middle-class. This class has seen growth in wealth in post-globalized India that they had never imagined. Lives are comfortable, houses are big, and cars are plural. With an increase in individual wealth, there has been a decrease in sense of community, in terms of both participation in the community and contributions to the community. The majority of Indians belonging to this class are immensely selfish, reductively competitive, and unimaginably narrow-minded. In the current cultural realm, the ability of these people to do something for someone beyond themselves is so diminished that it almost creates a void - a traumatic dent - in their human spirit. That void gives rise to unconscious shameful doubt as to "what am I doing for those around me or for my country or whatever". So, as compensation for the inability to do anything substantial about it and as an easy escape, they start celebrating something that would make them appear as patriots - people who do something for their people, for their country. Writing YouTube comments about how proud one is of the army is a cheap act of cowardice but it sells perfectly well. The more aggressively one does it, the greater their sense of compensation. So, the dubious principle is that the more aggressively you celebrate the army, the less you have to think about "what the fuck am I doing for my country or people" and the fewer people will see you as the selfish and useless cunt that you are.

As a patriot who is doing his little part in his own way for the country where I was born and raised, I do not feel the need to compensate for anything. So, while I appreciate the service of the people in the forces (as a citizen), I do not and will not participate in the jingoist celebration of those who are salaried by the government with training to kill.