Point a gun to my forehead and ask me to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” or “Jai Shri Ram,” and I will refuse. Not because I hate my country. Not because I don’t revere divinity. But because the very idea of patriotism or faith being held at gunpoint is not patriotism or faith — it is fascism wrapped in a saffron flag, paraded as nationalism.
The only thing I might ask before you pull the trigger is, “Who the fuck are you?”
Who gave you the right to define my love for this land?
Who authorised you to be the custodian of a god I might find in silence, or not at all?
Who turned these chants — once echoes of pride and devotion — into war cries of hate?
This is not about slogans. This is about the growing trend of weaponising identity, of demanding obedience in the name of patriotism, and of linking faith to loyalty as if either were a license issued by the state — or worse, a mob.
Do you know what true patriotism is? It’s paying taxes, questioning the government, cleaning your street, feeding a hungry child, and building a just society. It’s standing up for the Constitution, even when it protects the rights of someone you disagree with. It’s respecting freedom — including the freedom to not say what you want me to say.
And as for god — if he exists, he doesn’t need a slogan. He doesn’t need your sword. He doesn’t need your threat. If your version of god demands blood for devotion, then what you’re worshipping isn’t divinity. It’s power.
So yes, if you point a gun to my head and bark a slogan, don’t expect submission. Expect defiance.
And expect a question:
“Who the fuck are you?”