National Unity: More Than Just a Label

Einstein once said, "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind." Perhaps this statement was his own form of penance—a reaction to the horrors of World War II, where a Germany intoxicated by nationalism and the "One Race, One Religion" campaign utilized the very atomic theories he helped pioneer to unleash mass destruction.

Similarly, Noam Chomsky—the brilliant 20th and 21st-century philosopher (whom I consider the American version of our own Khagendra Sangroula)—has described nationalism as "a tool used by one specific group to suppress another."

Many have weighed in on this, including the famous George Orwell. He went even further, defining nationalism as "the hunger for power fed by self-deception," where an individual identifies themselves with a single nation, placing it beyond the limits of good and evil.

On this occasion of National Unity Day, as we proudly call ourselves Nepalis, let us not forget the "Nepaliniss" within those who have been labeled "Un-Nepali." At the same time, for those who might feel like "semi-Nepalis" or outsiders due to systemic exclusion, do not lose sight of your own claim to Nepal, our shared identity, and our collective spirit.

Happy National Unity Day to everyone.