Former Vice President of India Hamid Ansari has made yet another controversial remark describing Nationalism as ‘ideological poison’ that does not hesitate in transcending individual rights.

Speaking at the international conference organised by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, Ansari derided Nationalism and Religiosity, stating that many societies across the world have been the victims of these two “pandemics”.

“Nationalism in its strident form is inseparable from the desire for power. It is an ‘ideological poison’ that has no hesitation in transcending and transgressing individual rights,” he said.

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To lend credence to his assertion that nationalism is a vile conception, Ansari quoted Rabindranath Tagore who had ridiculed nationalism as a ‘great menace’. Ansari further added that Tagore had expressed his strong displeasure against the “idolatry of the nation”. Ansari went further ahead and quoted Einstein to run down nationalism. Ansari said that Einstein had described nationalism as an “infantile disease”.

The former Vice President of India argued that nationalism has often been mistaken with patriotism, which, according to him, inspires nobler sentiments but should be kept in check or it will trample upon the cherished ideals of the nation.

In addition, Ansari also slammed religiosity exhibited by humankind in his address at an event on Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev’s philosophy to spread peace, harmony and human happiness. Holding a dim view of religiosity, Ansari contended that it was not the founders of religious faith, who propounded religiosity, but their followers who diluted or corrupted their teachings.

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Ansari’s recent comment on nationalism is in consonance with his duplicitous conduct in the middle east while he was serving as an Indian diplomat in Foreign Services. Former RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) officer NK Sood had made explosive revelations against the former Vice President Hamid Ansari who served as Indian Ambassador to Iran between 1990-92, alleging that he endangered the lives of RAW officers in Tehran and even ended up exposing the RAW set-up in Tehran. Manifestly, Ansari had low regards for nationalism and national interest.

Ansari has also displayed his distorted sense of history when he claimed that Sardar Patel was equally responsible for India’s partition as was Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Ansari had said that not just Pakistanis or Britishers but Indians were equally responsible for the partition of the country.

The former vice president of the world’s largest democracy also favours Islamic Sharia courts. He had backed the idea of setting up of the Shariat courts in every district of the country, saying that each community has the right to practice its own personal law. He had also attended an event organised by radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). In 2010, PFI goons had chopped off the hands of a professor in Kerala for allegedly insulting Islamic Prophet Mohammed. NIA has accused PFI of indulging in ‘love-jihad’ in Kerala.