I don't believe religion has anything to do with patriotism. here's how.
What do you call it when a person (Hindu or Muslim) bribes a traffic police constable with a Rs50 note? Or someone fingers an electricity metres to not pay the state, or a shopkeeper does not issue a sales receipt to evade sales tax; or when people travel without tickets, this list can go on forever believe me. And the painful part is, each one of us has done one or several of these things on a rather regular basis, and our parents and their parents too. Is this patriotism? Is it patriotism when Indian politicians (what's their religion please?)collude with foreign companies (Enron-Dabhol project) and cheat the nation? Can you count the trillions of Rupees that India as a state has lost out to scams by elected representatives of the people? The billions we pay out in bribes each year also belong to the country. Patriotism? Are you kidding me!!!?
An interesting fact for those who believe religion and patriotism are connected. The most damaging activity to national interest is that of moles of foreign intelligence agencies. In India, 90 per cent of the high placed ISI agents caught in ISRO, DRDO, and the Indian Army were not Muslims. How much damage did they do? Ask RAW. Patriotism is not something you wear on your sleeve, or a scream that escapes your throat. It's a way of life we have forgotten how to live...
