Decoding a patriot with Saket Suman

Sean Young

September 23, 2021
5 min read
Books Saket Suman The Psychology of a Patriot

SEAN COLIN YOUNG speaks to SAKET SUMAN about his new book, The Psychology of a Patriot, and the evolution of patriotism

Have you wondered what makes you a patriot? Is it about waving flags after India fires missiles at the other side of the Loc? Or making jingoistic rants after watching a Sunny Deol movie? Would you define patriotism by raising your voice against the regime over suppression of your fundamental rights? Ever wondered how the meaning of patriotism has changed in the last seven decades of free India? What does patriotism hold for millennials today? Questions like these and much more have been discussed in the latest book The psychology of a Patriot, penned by debutant author Saket Suman.

The book is an account of modern India, tracing the evolution and contestation of patriotism from the first war of Independence to the ongoing crisis of COVID-19. Released by Rupa Publications, the book is backed by first-hand accounts of luminaries, peppered with numerous anecdotes and a passionate examination of author’s own beliefs.

In an exclusive chat with BornofWeb.com, Suman said that the idea of the book was germinated after an intense conversation with a friend in Jaipur though the journey that the book narrates “is the culmination of experiences and exchanges I have had over a period of time.”

During the process of writing this book, Suman, had the challenge to try and bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction in the way the chapters are set. “The bulk of the work was actually done before the book was even thought of but the devastation that the pandemic unleashed gave a very timely and critical perspective to the book—that emerges towards the end,” he said.

“What does a writer do when he has exhausted all his resources? He responds. There were several weeks of disillusionment, utter hopelessness. That grief was real, that pain personal to each one of us. The thrill of translating that sentiment to keep you hooked from cover to cover is what makes the writing process worth every challenge,” the writer added.

On the subject of how does one define a patriot keeping in view of today’s events and the book in mind, he said that there will always be different ways of looking at it from the political and historical points of view but psychology narrows down the list “a bit”.

The writer said that in order to understand the meaning of patriotism, one first has to think of the fundamentals, which are ‘we the people’ and the ‘patria’ (ancient Roman for home).

“A patriot, thus, looks at things realistically and believes that power must rest with the people so that those governing them grant everybody the dignity of our shared evolution from apes to humans. Patriotism is not superficial nor can it be poked and aroused. It is something much deeper, an interaction with self that leads towards the realisation of the ancient Indian philosophy where we regard mother earth as our home when we say Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the Sanskrit phrase that means the world is one family,” he elucidated.

The Psychology of a Patriot by Saket Suman — **Saket Suman, writer of The Psychology of a Patriot**

Looking at the national and global affairs, Suman believes we are a tipping point. It was never important than today to define patriotism.

“Instead of accountability, securities and liberties, we have to deal with taxes, restrictions and surveillance. And then there are larger challenges, such as climate change and melting glaciers, the outbreak of severe pandemics, violation of human rights, the suppression of liberties and the presence of stark inequalities. We find that patriotism is the most potent tool that can either enable the people to stake their claim in their countries or be exploited in its name for intentions that may be vested or motivated,” he stated.

One of the most interesting excerpts of the book says that patriotism is “neither an isolated sentiment nor is it the only aspect on which the cycle of any given nation or its people revolves”. “Patriotism alone is not enough to ensure the progress of a country or the wellbeing and prosperity of the people,” he explained.

But when it comes to securing the borders, we come across “die-hard patriots like the members of our armed forces.” “They live to secure the promise of independence and guard the borders so that business can go about as usual. They enable countries to function effectively and are at the centre of things during times of war,” he said.

Suman concluded the conversation by saying that “we should all ask ourselves what is the common good that we as people, and people as citizens, and citizens as the country, wish to achieve as our shared objective.”