The basis of our nationalism is not simply Bharat but 'Bharat Mata'. Remove the word Mata and Bharat would remain just a piece of land. The affinity between us and this land is established only with the relationship of the mother. No piece of land can be called a country so long as the relationship between it and the people living in it is not that of mother and son. This is patriotism. But patriotism does not merely mean love for a piece of land. Even birds and beasts have such love. The tiger lives in its lair, and birds return to their nests every evening. But they cannot be called patriots. Man also comes to acquire a feeling of affinity for the place where he may live. But that is not enough for patriotism. Only those people can be called patriots in a particular country who are bound together as one people. A country is created by the coming together of land as mother and an integrated society as son. This is patriotism and it is deathless.

Author: Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya

Source: ReplaceSource