How did people belonging to different …

People belonging to different communities, region and language groups in India develop a sense of collective belonging by the following ways -- (i) The identity of the nation was most often symbolised with the image of Bharat Mata. (ii) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Maataram’ as a hymn to the motherland. (iii) Novel Anandanath was published, which included about 'Vande Maataram'. (iv) Moved by the Swadeshi movement, Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata and portrayed it as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual. (v) Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore. (vi) Icons and symbols played an important role in unifying people and inspiring them with a feeling of nationalism. (vii) During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed. (viii) Reinterpretation of history that to instill a sense of pride in the nation.

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This sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. A variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination also came in handy. History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism. The identity of the nation was most often symbolised in a figure or image. This helps create an image with which people can identify the nation. It was in the twentieth century, with the growth of nationalism, that the identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata. The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.