Read the following excerpts and answer the Questions that follow:
“There cannot be any divided loyalty”
Govind Ballabh Pant argued that in order to become loyal citizens people had to stop focusing only on the community and the self:
For the success of democracy one must train himself in the art of self-discipline. In democracies one should care less for himself and more for others. There cannot be any divided loyalty. All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the State. If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties, or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests then democracy is doomed.
(i) How does G.B. Pant define the attributes of a loyal citizen? Explain.
(ii) Under what circumstances is democracy doomed? Explain.
(iii) Do you think that with divided loyalty one can serve the country faithfully? Explain your views.
(i) According to G.B. Pant, a loyal citizen should be self disciplined. He should think not only of his own interests of that of his community. He should rise above petty self-interest to be loyal only to the state.
(ii) Democracy is doomed when there are rival loyalties and when an individual of group cares only for itself and not for interest of all.
(iii) One cannot serve the country faithfully with divided loyalties because one’s loyalty will be to one’s caste, community or religion and not to the nation. But in a democracy, it is essential that people think of themselves as being foremost citizens of the country, for it is the citizens that are the bedrock of a nation. Divided loyalties make it difficult to forge a strong nation and a strong state.
