6.1.1. Communities, Nations and Nation-States

At the simplest level, a nation is a sort of large-scale community – it is a community of communities. Members of a nation share the desire to be part of the same political collectivity. This desire for political unity usually expresses itself as the aspiration to form a state.

A nation can be understood as a large community made up of various smaller communities. The people in a nation generally want to be part of a collective body that has the ability to make political decisions. This collective desire often leads to the ambition to establish a government or 'state' that represents them.

Think of a school as a small nation: every student represents a community (like a family or a local group). Together, all students share the goal of making decisions about school activities, rules, and values, forming a collective identity.

In its most general sense, the term state refers to an abstract entity consisting of a set of political-legal institutions claiming control over a particular geographical territory and the people living in it.

The state is an organized political entity that governs a specific geographic area and its population. It includes various institutions that create and enforce laws, manage public resources, and provide services to the people within its borders.

You can compare the state to a referee in a sports game. Just like a referee ensures the game is played fairly, upholds the rules, and takes control of the game's flow, the state manages societal rules, enforces laws, and provides for the needs of its citizens.

A nation is a peculiar sort of community that is easy to describe but hard to define. We know and can describe many specific nations founded on the basis of common cultural, historical and political institutions like a shared religion, language, ethnicity, history or regional culture. But it is hard to come up with any defining features, any characteristics that a nation must possess.

While we can easily identify specific nations based on shared traits like culture or language, defining what makes a nation can be challenging. Nations are frequently complex and may not fit neatly into a single description or characteristic. This complexity is due to the diverse nature of the populations within those nations.

Consider a music festival that features various genres. Just because attendees appreciate music doesn't mean they have the same taste. Similarly, while people within a nation might share aspects like language or culture, their individual experiences and identities can be very different.

The criterion that comes closest to distinguishing a nation is the state. Unlike the other kinds of communities mentioned before, nations are communities that have a state of their own. That is why the two are joined with a hyphen to form the term nation-state.

Nations are typically defined by their connection with states; essentially, a nation-state is a nation that has its own government. This relationship highlights how nations generally seek autonomy and self-governance, often necessitating a specific political structure.

Think of your family as a community. If your family has its own household rules and your parents manage the family budget, that's similar to how nations operate within a state. Just as the family needs a home, nations need a state to thrive and maintain order.

Generally speaking, in recent times there has been a one-to-one bond between nation and state (one nation, one state; one state, one nation). But this is a new development.

Traditionally, a single nation might not have directly corresponded with a single state. This one-to-one relationship between nations and states is a modern phenomenon, and not all nations have their own independent states. Historical examples illustrate this point, showing that various nations can exist within larger states.

Think of a family living in an apartment complex where multiple families share the same building but each has their own distinct household. Even though they live under the same roof (the state), each family (the nation) is separate and has its unique traditions.

However, there are many successful examples – including India – which show that it is perfectly possible to have a strong nation-state without having to ‘homogenise’ different types of community identities into one standard type.

Successful nation-states can accommodate diversity, meaning they can recognize and support multiple community identities without forcing everyone to fit into the same mold. This ability allows for a harmonious society despite different cultural backgrounds.

Imagine a vibrant garden filled with many types of flowers. Each flower represents a different community identity. Just like in a diverse nation-state, all the flowers coexist beautifully, each contributing to the overall beauty without losing their unique characteristics.

However, suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the alienation of the minority or subordinated communities whose culture is treated as ‘non-national’.

When states attempt to suppress cultural diversity, it can create feelings of alienation among minority groups. This alienation can lead to unrest and conflict, as those groups feel their identities are being disregarded or diminished.

Consider a school where only one sport is recognized and promoted, leaving students who excel in other sports feeling undervalued and overlooked. This can result in dissatisfaction and disengagement, similar to how minority communities might feel in a nation-state that disregards their culture.

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