What do you think?
Rate this book
What the Nation Really Needs to Know: The JNU Nationalism Lectures
Who or what is ‘anti-national’? The question was foregrounded in a series of unprecedented events that unfolded in Jawaharlal Nehru University from February 2016. Over the next few months, sections of the television, print and social media turned the country into a choric chamber of hate, riveting national attention. The proliferating ‘charges’ produced great political and intellectual disquiet in the JNU community of students and teachers. As a creative response, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association organized a teach-in for a month between 17 February and 17 March 2016. The lectures addressed the meanings, histories and experience of nationalism and its unresolved dilemmas, in India and beyond.
The teach-in lectures, which were initially intended for members of the JNU community and delivered principally by JNU teachers, soon gained unanticipated audiences across India and in international forums. Reports and translations of the lectures, live streamed on YouTube, made for a reach that echoed well beyond the ‘Freedom Square’, the area in front of JNU’s Administrative Block, which became the space of this intellectual and political occupation. The book, therefore, is both an archive of that historic moment and a tribute to the effort that succeeded in refocusing national attention on the university as the space for sustaining serious, well-historicized and critical thought.
The teach-in lectures, which were initially intended for members of the JNU community and delivered principally by JNU teachers, soon gained unanticipated audiences across India and in international forums. Reports and translations of the lectures, live streamed on YouTube, made for a reach that echoed well beyond the ‘Freedom Square’, the area in front of JNU’s Administrative Block, which became the space of this intellectual and political occupation. The book, therefore, is both an archive of that historic moment and a tribute to the effort that succeeded in refocusing national attention on the university as the space for sustaining serious, well-historicized and critical thought.
336 pages, Paperback
Published January 4, 2017
14 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 29, 2017
My Country right or wrong usually means my government right or wrong. Soldiers don't like to hear this. Most of the time, soldiers don't die for their country but for the government which is not the same thing.
On 12th February, 2016, The elected student union President of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kanhaiya Kumar was picked up by police from the campus under the sedition charges having activities and discussion about Kashmir Conflicts and insurgency Issues and of supporting Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri separatist, who was convicted for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack; he later received a death sentence for his involvement. Then followed the arrests of many students like Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya under the same sedition charges against the nation. Many media had started tagging 'the anti-nationals' on the students and Teachers of JNU who in turn, came up with a creative idea of countering the ‘anti-national’ tag given to the university and its students and to make a point that there were various definitions of nationalism via public lecture series named 'JNU Nationalism Lectures' which were lectured by various public intellectuals in the fields of Journalism, Economics, History, Linguistics and Art, and Science.
Hence a collection of 24 lectures on and around the notions of Nationalism which provided ample insights and aha moments almost in every lecture.
"I'm an Indian because my parents are Indian. And I have a passport that tells me that is what I am and there's nothing more could be done to it."
Some notions on the suppression of languages of minority communities especially in the northeastern regions of India where tens and thousands of tribal communities still use to live. A Language that could be spoken only by 50 people in their tribal village. Thousand such languages were neglected by the nation (or perhaps government) to provide recognition though we're still proud of being "Unity in Diversity" culturally, linguistically to the outside world and still inside the nation, many people think that way. As of 2001, 1635 probable languages, of many such languages have already gone extinct.
Also, some accounts describing that Gandhi didn't want untouchability but Varna system and Casteism, and his battle with Ambedkar. His apologetic way of approaching the problem and how he failed causing hegemony and later realizing the failure by himself and back trying to resolve these kinds of issues and died trying. The Capacity for introspection, for recognizing evil within itself, was the most important thing about Gandhi's Nation. A Nation that refuses to feel guilty about itself is a nation to fear deeply.
Myself being "a human" from Tamil Nadu, which is a southern state of India, is a lot more different than being "Indian" or "Tamilan". I found intriguing social transformations that occurred in my state Tamil Nadu and nearby Southern State Kerala. While we were busy dying and being victimized for romanticizing the language against Hindi Opposition, People in Kerala like C.D David, Varghese Mapilla tried to self-scrutinize the language, analyzing the problems with the morality and drawbacks over the community to become a better society living collectively with Avarna Christians, Syrian Christians, Muslims, and others. I could also understand the reason why Communism could still grow strongly in this state which is hopefully waiting for another Lenin whereas linguistic romance is indeed happening here, in Tamil Nadu, where Patriarchy has the upper hand and so proud of being the society with one of the oldest, richest histories and its heritage.
Like Germania of Germany, Marianne of France, the idea of Mother India came from the work of national freedom fighter, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Anandamath where he initially portrayed the British as the real enemies to invoke the patriotism but after having joined as a regulatory officer under British regime, he replaced them with Muslims. In patriarchy, Mother is considered weak, fragile, compassionate, caring, who always need protection. It is the duty of the son, the devout and proud son to protect her mother. It'd be different and perhaps, embarrassing to protect the father India under this sick society of Patriarchy. Patriarch can command everybody but nobody can command the Patriarchy.
The idea of science and rational thinking in public is still a bit of a blur in India. Discussing the two kinds of scientists in India with very different perspectives. People like Bohr, Feynman, Einstein who were horrified by nuclear weapons which were very few and we've had our middle-class hero Abdul Kalam saying how Wonderful it is to have them. But there was this rational person on the other hand who'd got Nobel prize in physics, Sir CV Raman who said that scientists should be willing to starve rather than work on nuclear weapons.
There's been a lot of references I could deal with, to know more about the history through immense literary works attached as references in every lecture notes. This is surely an insightful read.
Some snippets of the Poet, Rabindranath Tagore who wrote the National Anthems of 2 Countries literally (India, Bangladesh) and 3 technically (His student wrote for Sri Lanka), often misattributed as Patriot, Nationalist.
"It is my conviction that countrymen will truly gain India by fighting against the education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideals of humanity"
"If you wish to endear your homeland, go above and beyond it, Don't belittle human beings for the sake of the nations"
There are a lot more insights available than I've posted in this thread. I would recommend to all my friends who are curious enough to know about the topic. It's a quality read.
On 12th February, 2016, The elected student union President of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kanhaiya Kumar was picked up by police from the campus under the sedition charges having activities and discussion about Kashmir Conflicts and insurgency Issues and of supporting Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri separatist, who was convicted for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack; he later received a death sentence for his involvement. Then followed the arrests of many students like Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya under the same sedition charges against the nation. Many media had started tagging 'the anti-nationals' on the students and Teachers of JNU who in turn, came up with a creative idea of countering the ‘anti-national’ tag given to the university and its students and to make a point that there were various definitions of nationalism via public lecture series named 'JNU Nationalism Lectures' which were lectured by various public intellectuals in the fields of Journalism, Economics, History, Linguistics and Art, and Science.
Hence a collection of 24 lectures on and around the notions of Nationalism which provided ample insights and aha moments almost in every lecture.
"I'm an Indian because my parents are Indian. And I have a passport that tells me that is what I am and there's nothing more could be done to it."
Some notions on the suppression of languages of minority communities especially in the northeastern regions of India where tens and thousands of tribal communities still use to live. A Language that could be spoken only by 50 people in their tribal village. Thousand such languages were neglected by the nation (or perhaps government) to provide recognition though we're still proud of being "Unity in Diversity" culturally, linguistically to the outside world and still inside the nation, many people think that way. As of 2001, 1635 probable languages, of many such languages have already gone extinct.
Also, some accounts describing that Gandhi didn't want untouchability but Varna system and Casteism, and his battle with Ambedkar. His apologetic way of approaching the problem and how he failed causing hegemony and later realizing the failure by himself and back trying to resolve these kinds of issues and died trying. The Capacity for introspection, for recognizing evil within itself, was the most important thing about Gandhi's Nation. A Nation that refuses to feel guilty about itself is a nation to fear deeply.
Myself being "a human" from Tamil Nadu, which is a southern state of India, is a lot more different than being "Indian" or "Tamilan". I found intriguing social transformations that occurred in my state Tamil Nadu and nearby Southern State Kerala. While we were busy dying and being victimized for romanticizing the language against Hindi Opposition, People in Kerala like C.D David, Varghese Mapilla tried to self-scrutinize the language, analyzing the problems with the morality and drawbacks over the community to become a better society living collectively with Avarna Christians, Syrian Christians, Muslims, and others. I could also understand the reason why Communism could still grow strongly in this state which is hopefully waiting for another Lenin whereas linguistic romance is indeed happening here, in Tamil Nadu, where Patriarchy has the upper hand and so proud of being the society with one of the oldest, richest histories and its heritage.
Like Germania of Germany, Marianne of France, the idea of Mother India came from the work of national freedom fighter, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Anandamath where he initially portrayed the British as the real enemies to invoke the patriotism but after having joined as a regulatory officer under British regime, he replaced them with Muslims. In patriarchy, Mother is considered weak, fragile, compassionate, caring, who always need protection. It is the duty of the son, the devout and proud son to protect her mother. It'd be different and perhaps, embarrassing to protect the father India under this sick society of Patriarchy. Patriarch can command everybody but nobody can command the Patriarchy.
The idea of science and rational thinking in public is still a bit of a blur in India. Discussing the two kinds of scientists in India with very different perspectives. People like Bohr, Feynman, Einstein who were horrified by nuclear weapons which were very few and we've had our middle-class hero Abdul Kalam saying how Wonderful it is to have them. But there was this rational person on the other hand who'd got Nobel prize in physics, Sir CV Raman who said that scientists should be willing to starve rather than work on nuclear weapons.
There's been a lot of references I could deal with, to know more about the history through immense literary works attached as references in every lecture notes. This is surely an insightful read.
Some snippets of the Poet, Rabindranath Tagore who wrote the National Anthems of 2 Countries literally (India, Bangladesh) and 3 technically (His student wrote for Sri Lanka), often misattributed as Patriot, Nationalist.
"It is my conviction that countrymen will truly gain India by fighting against the education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideals of humanity"
"If you wish to endear your homeland, go above and beyond it, Don't belittle human beings for the sake of the nations"
There are a lot more insights available than I've posted in this thread. I would recommend to all my friends who are curious enough to know about the topic. It's a quality read.
January 29, 2022
On a cold day of February 2021, few student leaders from one of the prestigious universities of India were taken into custody by the police. Charges - Sedition राष्ट्रद्रोह
Suddenly it was talk of the country - JNU fosters anti-nationals. Amplified in the cacophonous TV studios in next days where the anchor shouted every night at prime time from the top of his lungs - NATION WANTS TO KNOW.
JNU resorted to what a good University should do when its name is tarnished - Debate and Discuss. The students and teachers association of JNU organized a series of lecture to discuss "What is nationalism? Who is an anti-national?" under the tag "WHAT THE NATION REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW", obviously to counter the most popular talk show on TV.
30 days, 30 lectures, from some of the eminent professors of the university - few of them centrists, only one or two leaning right and majority of them - as you would call them - left liberals.
Spirited arguments on the topic of nationalism. Some lectures could be too academic, and boring. But, most are engaging and have the potential to stir your mind.
Agree or disagree. Appreciate or reject. But, do lend them an ear.
Suddenly it was talk of the country - JNU fosters anti-nationals. Amplified in the cacophonous TV studios in next days where the anchor shouted every night at prime time from the top of his lungs - NATION WANTS TO KNOW.
JNU resorted to what a good University should do when its name is tarnished - Debate and Discuss. The students and teachers association of JNU organized a series of lecture to discuss "What is nationalism? Who is an anti-national?" under the tag "WHAT THE NATION REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW", obviously to counter the most popular talk show on TV.
30 days, 30 lectures, from some of the eminent professors of the university - few of them centrists, only one or two leaning right and majority of them - as you would call them - left liberals.
Spirited arguments on the topic of nationalism. Some lectures could be too academic, and boring. But, most are engaging and have the potential to stir your mind.
Agree or disagree. Appreciate or reject. But, do lend them an ear.
August 30, 2017
One of the best books which tears apart your conception about the ‘Nationalism’ bounded by the geographic borders. It teaches you the real meaning of nationalism from various aspects like history, economics, sociology & various others. One who want to label himself as Nationalist or other as Anti-national,must read this book.
September 18, 2017
A nuanced and thought-provoking book containing a plethora of ideas, all debating and discussing the idea of 'nation', 'citizen', 'democracy', and lastly, that notorious concept known as 'nationalism'. The chapters are essentially transcripts of lectures by eminent academicians from a potpourri of disciplines, who all gathered for a special teach-in organised after the infamous arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, JNU's student leader.
I'll admit some of these lectures are a bit dry, but the common thread uniting them is the spirit of inquiry and discussion, which is absent from our public lives and in our 'educational' institutions.
I especially liked the lectures by G. Arunima, Ayesha Kidwai, Mridula Mukherjee, Apporvanand, Makarand Paranjape, Jayati Ghosh, Prabhat Patnaik, and Badri Narayan.
As a wise man once said, "One should not confuse an open mind with an empty mind". For those with the former, this book is a timely nourishment.
I'll admit some of these lectures are a bit dry, but the common thread uniting them is the spirit of inquiry and discussion, which is absent from our public lives and in our 'educational' institutions.
I especially liked the lectures by G. Arunima, Ayesha Kidwai, Mridula Mukherjee, Apporvanand, Makarand Paranjape, Jayati Ghosh, Prabhat Patnaik, and Badri Narayan.
As a wise man once said, "One should not confuse an open mind with an empty mind". For those with the former, this book is a timely nourishment.
July 6, 2020
"What the Nation Really Needs to Know: The JNU Nationalism Lectures"
What the Nation Really Needs to Know: The JNU Nationalism Lectures (eds. Rohit Azad, Janaki Nair, Mohinder Singh, Mallarika Sinha Roy on behalf of JNU Teachers’ Association, Harper Collins, 2016) is an interesting book consisting of 24 lectures.
Who or what is ‘anti-national’? The question was foregrounded in a series of unprecedented events that unfolded in Jawaharlal Nehru University from February 2016. It was a creative response movement the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association organized a teach-in for a month between 17 February and 17 March 2016. The lectures addressed the meanings, histories and experience of nationalism and its unresolved dilemmas, in India and beyond. They are published in both English and Hindi languages.
I mainly got the book to read the chapter “Languages Of Mother Tongues: India’s Linguistic Diversity” by Prof. Ayesha Kidwai. But then the other lectures I found more interesting include—Prof. Jayati Ghosh’s “On Anti-National Economics”—Suvir Kaul’s “At the Limits of Postcolonial Nationalism” --Prof. Romila Thapar’s “The Past As Seen In Ideologies Claiming To Be Nationalist”—and Mirdula Mukherjee’s “Civil Liberties and Indian Nationalism.”
The teach-in lectures, which were initially intended for members of the JNU community and delivered principally by JNU teachers, soon gained unanticipated audiences across India and in international forums. Reports and translations of the lectures, live streamed on YouTube, made for a reach that echoed well beyond the ‘Freedom Square’, the area in front of JNU’s Administrative Block, which became the space of this intellectual and political occupation. The book, therefore, is both an archive of that historic moment and a tribute to the effort that succeeded in refocusing national attention on the university as the space for sustaining serious, well-historicized and critical thought.
What the Nation Really Needs to Know: The JNU Nationalism Lectures (eds. Rohit Azad, Janaki Nair, Mohinder Singh, Mallarika Sinha Roy on behalf of JNU Teachers’ Association, Harper Collins, 2016) is an interesting book consisting of 24 lectures.
Who or what is ‘anti-national’? The question was foregrounded in a series of unprecedented events that unfolded in Jawaharlal Nehru University from February 2016. It was a creative response movement the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association organized a teach-in for a month between 17 February and 17 March 2016. The lectures addressed the meanings, histories and experience of nationalism and its unresolved dilemmas, in India and beyond. They are published in both English and Hindi languages.
I mainly got the book to read the chapter “Languages Of Mother Tongues: India’s Linguistic Diversity” by Prof. Ayesha Kidwai. But then the other lectures I found more interesting include—Prof. Jayati Ghosh’s “On Anti-National Economics”—Suvir Kaul’s “At the Limits of Postcolonial Nationalism” --Prof. Romila Thapar’s “The Past As Seen In Ideologies Claiming To Be Nationalist”—and Mirdula Mukherjee’s “Civil Liberties and Indian Nationalism.”
The teach-in lectures, which were initially intended for members of the JNU community and delivered principally by JNU teachers, soon gained unanticipated audiences across India and in international forums. Reports and translations of the lectures, live streamed on YouTube, made for a reach that echoed well beyond the ‘Freedom Square’, the area in front of JNU’s Administrative Block, which became the space of this intellectual and political occupation. The book, therefore, is both an archive of that historic moment and a tribute to the effort that succeeded in refocusing national attention on the university as the space for sustaining serious, well-historicized and critical thought.
August 30, 2019
The only thing that bothered me about this book is the manner in which Kashmir was erased in the lecture series. Since Kashmir was the issue that sparked this academic sit in and the resultant furore, it seemed convenient to have not focused on it while talking about nationalism.
October 5, 2017
During a very recent discussion with one of my friends, he remarked - while being a little agitated - that he does not want to get into a "JNU type discussion". This was mildly amusing as the alternative seems to be closer to Times Now type of discussion (shrill shouting matches - for those unaware of Times Now) than anything else.
I have pretty much always been a centrist in my opinions but these lectures at JNU further developed my thought process and structure. Most of the lectures are really illuminating and provide valuable insights - or the very least, provoke you to think. An essential guide to the thought process required for a "JNU type discussion" which, I believe, is a very healthy approach to discuss :)
I have pretty much always been a centrist in my opinions but these lectures at JNU further developed my thought process and structure. Most of the lectures are really illuminating and provide valuable insights - or the very least, provoke you to think. An essential guide to the thought process required for a "JNU type discussion" which, I believe, is a very healthy approach to discuss :)
January 27, 2021
Genre- Society/Culture
Difficulty- Easy/Intermediate
A discussion on a variety of issues and fields such as political, social, and economic on what it means to nationalist or anti-national. This series of essays which are a transcript of the JNU Nationalism Lectures in the early months of 2017 by some of the most distinguished professors of JNU and other prestigious universities. There is a tinge of bias or influence of the actions that were taken by the government in discrediting JNU, hence this is a form of reaction/response.
Despite the bias, there is a large range of opinions, at times conflicting with each other.
Difficulty- Easy/Intermediate
A discussion on a variety of issues and fields such as political, social, and economic on what it means to nationalist or anti-national. This series of essays which are a transcript of the JNU Nationalism Lectures in the early months of 2017 by some of the most distinguished professors of JNU and other prestigious universities. There is a tinge of bias or influence of the actions that were taken by the government in discrediting JNU, hence this is a form of reaction/response.
Despite the bias, there is a large range of opinions, at times conflicting with each other.
July 24, 2018
Great talks on Nationalism by some really great eminent personalities. The JNUTA has done a really good job in organising such a teach in program at the campus in dark times and it has resonated well with the intelligentsia in the university as well as the general public. In these lectures, Nationalism is tackled from various angles by some great professors and scholars and to read their take on them is such a sweet thing.
November 11, 2017
Worth reading.
March 6, 2019
Thought Provoking
December 11, 2020
The book! Every Chapter is a nuanced work of Scholarship. Switch off your prime time news and get your reading glasses ready.
August 15, 2022
Recommended for everyone.
February 25, 2018
A collection of beautiful, powerful and diverse lectures on Nationalism. A must read.
It changed the way I perceived who is "anti-national".
More importantly, it destroyed my obsession with Nationalism itself which I initially thought was a prerequisite for a better India.
Fortunate enough that JNU crisis took place as the topic of Nationalism became important and common, otherwise such powerful essays were inaccessible for general audience.
The crisis also helped create more awareness in our university too as our department hosted multiple guest lectures on the same topic because of this event.
This book is a must read to understand such complex issue in simple manner which offers multiple viewpoints.
I finally #StandWithJNU
It changed the way I perceived who is "anti-national".
More importantly, it destroyed my obsession with Nationalism itself which I initially thought was a prerequisite for a better India.
Fortunate enough that JNU crisis took place as the topic of Nationalism became important and common, otherwise such powerful essays were inaccessible for general audience.
The crisis also helped create more awareness in our university too as our department hosted multiple guest lectures on the same topic because of this event.
This book is a must read to understand such complex issue in simple manner which offers multiple viewpoints.
I finally #StandWithJNU
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews