Nazism Of Germany Differs From Indian Nationalism: ICPR Scholar

A top official of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) on Thursday said the concept of Indian nationalism is quite different from German dictator Adolf Hitler's ideology of Nazism which resulted in Jewish homicide during the Second World War.
        
Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) Member Secretary Prof Sachchidananda Mishra claimed that while German nationalism takes pride in an assertion of its supremacy and dominance with brute force, Indian nationalism does it with two guiding principles of love for the country and projecting the whole world as one large family.
        
He was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day national seminar on 'The Relevance of Sri Aurobindo in Our Times' at the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram here in connection with the 150th birth anniversary of renowned philosopher Sri Aurobindo.
        
In a statement, the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram said Mishra compared the nationalism of India and Germany based on Sri Aurobindo's teachings.
        
He said German nationalism is guilty of initiating the Second World War which resulted in the killing of millions of Jews while India believes in the nationalism of its rich cultural heritage.
        
"It is understood that any nationalism takes pride in the assertion of its supremacy and dominance. Therefore, many people disclaim any nationality and want to be world citizens," Mishra said.
        
"They don't want to be associated with any country as humanity has no boundary. The love for humanity should not be limited to the citizens of a particular country rather it should go beyond all geographical boundaries," he added.
        
Mishra said Aurobindo was a staunch exponent of Indian nationalism and also a true lover of humanity.
        
Sri Aurobindo was born on 15 August 1872. For a brief period in his youth, he joined a revolutionary society and later became a leader of India's nationalist movement. He was one of the first political leaders in India to openly put forward the idea of complete independence for the country.
        
In 1910, he withdrew from politics after a spiritual awakening and went to Pondicherry to devote himself entirely to his inner spiritual life. In 1926, he founded the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram there.