Journalist and author Tony Joseph on Sunday spoke about how contending versions of nationalism have converted history into a battleground.

Speaking at a Mumbai Collective session titled ‘Who are We? History and Hindutva’, Mr. Joseph said in one version, Taj Mahal is a symbol of national heritage, Mahtma Gandhi is a hero, and Nathuram Godse a villain, while in the other version, Taj Mahal is a symbol of national humiliation, Gandhi is a villain, and Godse a hero.

“One version is what we have grown up with, since the freedom struggle. But we also have a different conception of nationalism which has also been with us for a century, and which has become more dominant in recent years. That conception of nationalism, unlike the earlier one which is exclusive rather than inclusive, is more narrower than wider, and it considers people of an imagined monolithic majority community to be the only true nationals and citizens and the rest to be secondary or perhaps unnecessary,” Mr. Joseph said, adding it is in this narrow or an exclusive version of nationalism that Taj Mahal is a symbol of national humiliation since it was commissioned by those who came from outside, Gandhi is a villain for trying to create a common platform for all Indians, and Godse is a hero.

Mr. Joseph said this alternative version of nationalism is completely imported from 20th century Europe where the idea first took root that for nations to be nations, they need to have one language, one religion, one culture, one race, and one leader, to set it apart from every other nation. “This is the kind of vision that led to two world wars, unimaginable destruction, and of course the rise of Hitler and Mussolini. The world learned from that misery and what that kind of nationalism led to, and junked it in favour of liberal, democratic ideals,” he said.

According to Mr. Joseph, the kind of history that Hindutva wants to erase is the history that says we are not a monoculture, that we created a unique civilisation out of multiple streams of migrations, and that we brought very different groups of people to this land of ours.

He walked down a large audience through the various classes of migration, which bear a signature on all population groups today. “We are all migrants, we are all mixed,” Mr. Joseph said, concluding that the phrase ‘unity in diversity’ is not a cliche.

“It’s the most accurate description of India. Any attempt, to shape it, and to discipline it into a monoculture is prone to mishaps, because that’s not the way we have been or will be,” he said. The session was chaired by professor T. Jayaraman of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.