From Vande Mataram to Vocal for Local: Nationalism in Tagore’s ‘The Home and the World’ and Contemporary India

This presentation explores how Rabindranath Tagore’s nuanced critique of nationalism in The Home and the World resonates with and challenges today’s nationalist campaigns like “Vocal for Local” in India. It examines Tagore’s caution against blind patriotism during the Swadeshi movement and parallels it with the contemporary push for self-reliance and local pride. Through this analysis, the presentation highlights the continuity and contestation in Indian nationalism’s evolving narrative, emphasizing the ethical and cultural questions that persist across time.

1. From Vande Mataram to Vocal for Local: Nationalism in Tagore’s ‘The Home and the World’ and Contemporary Indi a Prepared by : Nishtha Desai

2. Academic Information : Name : Nishtha Desai ● Roll number : 19 ● Enrollment number : 5108240024 ● Semester : 3 Subject : Indian English Literature – Pre -Independence ● Batch - 2024-26 Submitted to : S.B.Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji University- Bhavnagar ● Email Id : [email protected]

3. Research Question How does Tagore’s critique of nationalism in The Home and the World resonate with and challenge contemporary nationalist campaigns like “Vocal for Local” in India? Hypothesis While both Swadeshi in Tagore’s time and “Vocal for Local” in contemporary India emphasize economic self-reliance as a form of nationalism, Tagore’s critique suggests that without ethical responsibility and inclusivity, such movements risk slipping into exclusionary or exploitative nationalism.

4. Introduction : Nationalism can be understood as an emotional, political, and economic attachment to one’s nation. In early 20th-century India, events like the Partition of Bengal (1905) and the Swadeshi Movement shaped the context in which Rabindranath Tagore critiqued nationalism in The Home and the World. Today, campaigns like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local reflect modern forms of economic nationalism. This presentation aims to compare Tagore’s critique of Swadeshi nationalism with these contemporary movements, exploring their similarities, differences, and underlying challenges.

5. Tagore’s Critique of Nationalism Nikhil → Represents ethical universalism, reason, and moral responsibility. Sandip → Embodies aggressive, passionate, and manipulative nationalism. Bimala → Her inner conflict mirrors India’s awakening, confusion, and eventual disillusionment. Tagore’s Message → Nationalism without ethics is dangerous; true service must be guided by universal human values. ( Hogan, Ranjan )

6. Vocal for Local – Contemporary Nationalism Vocal for Local” promotes Indian-made goods under Atmanirbhar Bharat. Nationalism becomes a consumer choice — buying local is framed as patriotic. Digital campaigns and slogans mobilize public sentiment. Identity is shaped through economic participation, not just emotional allegiance. (Online , Swadeshi Movement and Self-Reliant India).

7. Swadeshi 2.0 – Market to Maker The Economics Times News India shifts from market to maker. Focus on scale, skill, and self-sufficiency. Global firms (Apple, Tesla, VinFast) produce in India; local control stays strong. Connection to Tagore: Sandip used Swadeshi as emotional propaganda. Today’s “Swadeshi 2.0” also uses pride & slogans to drive behavior. Tagore’s warning: Nationalism without ethics = manipulation. (Online)

8. Drashti IAS : Nationalism as Duty Schemes like PM Gati Shakti and Make in India are presented as acts of national duty. Youth and civil service aspirants are urged to view economic participation as patriotism. Connection to Tagore: In The Home and the World, Sandip compels Bimala in the name of duty. Similarly, today’s policy-driven nationalism may demand loyalty over freedom of thought. Nikhil’s stance: true service must follow conscience, not coercion. (Swadeshi Movement and Self -Reliant India)

9. Tagore vs. Vocal for Local: A Comparison Tagore’s Vision → Warned that nationalism without ethics becomes exploitative and manipulative (Dhanwni ; Hogan). Sandip’s Swadeshi → Driven by passion, rhetoric, and pressure rather than genuine service. (Tagore 2005) Vocal for Local → Promotes economic self-reliance through consumer choices (Online.; Swadeshi Movement and Self-Reliant India). Key Difference → Tagore stresses moral responsibility and universal humanism, while today’s campaigns focus on economic participation as patriotism (Ranjan )

10. Conclusion Nationalism in India has shifted from emotional fervor to strategic action, yet Tagore’s warning remains timeless — without ethics, even patriotic duty can become dangerous. As campaigns like “Vocal for Local” redefine identity through economic choices, we must ensure that nationalism empowers with conscience, not conformity.

11. REFERENCES : Dhanwni, Dr. Swatti Dhanwni. “Reading Swadeshi Movement in Tagore’s The Home and the World.” vol. 11, no. II, April 2020, p. 8. Online , https://share.google/IR8CUJQnknFajNUzR . Accessed 02 10 2025. Hogan, Patrick. “HISTORICAL ECONOMIES OF RACE AND GENDER IN BENGAL: RAY AND TAGORE ON THE HOME AND THE WORLD.” Journal of South Asian Literature , vol. 28, no. 1/2, 1993, pp. 23–43. JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/40873302. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025. Online, Et. “Swadeshi 2.0: India Is No Longer Just a Market, It’s a Maker.” The Economic Times , 14 Aug. 2025, share.google/LBGSEHNhH1nLItn3w. Ranjan, Pramod. Nationalism in the Home and the World , vol. 11, no. 9, 2023, p. 4. Online , https://share.google/h70astZ9rh9l56hYq. Accessed 02 10 2025. Swadeshi Movement and Self -Reliant India.” Drishti IAS , share.google/Vu98USqEqY2Qa2uCL Tagore, Rabindranath. Home and the World . Translated by Sreejata Guha, New edition (26 July 2005) ed., Penguin Books India PVT, Limited, 2005..

12. Thank You…