Reimagining Nationalism in the Digital Age: Political Propaganda and Identity Formation in Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World
Academic Details
Name: Parmar Dimpal
Roll No : 6
Enrollment No : 5108250025
Sem.: 03
Batch: 2025-2027
Email: dimpalparmar5704@gmail.com
Assignment Details
● Paper Name: 22406 Paper 201: Indian English Literature – Pre-Independence
● Topic: Reimagining Nationalism in the Digital Age: Political Propaganda and Identity Formation in Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World
● Submitted To:
Smt. S.B. Gardi, Department of English , Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
● Submitted Date: 19/10/2026
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Research Question
Hypothesis
Historical Context: The Swadeshi Movement and Indian Nationalism
Tagore’s Critique of Nationalism in The Home and the World
Political Propaganda and the Politics of Persuasion
Gender, Individual Identity, and Political Mobilisation
From Traditional Media to Social Media: The Transformation of Political Communication
Digital Nationalism, Echo Chambers, and Identity Construction
Comparative Analysis: Swadeshi-Era Nationalism and Digital Political Propaganda
Conclusion
Works Cited
Abstract
Nationalism has played a significant role in shaping political consciousness, collective identity, and public opinion in India. However, the relationship between nationalism, political power, and individual freedom has remained a subject of debate. Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World (Ghare-Baire), published in Bengali in 1916 and translated into English by the author in 1919, offers a critical examination of nationalism during the Swadeshi movement. Through the contrasting perspectives of Nikhil, Sandip, and Bimala, Tagore explores the relationship between political idealism, emotional mobilisation, gender, and the construction of national identity. This assignment examines the continuing relevance of Tagore’s novel in the contemporary digital age, where social media platforms have become influential spaces for political communication, propaganda, and identity formation. Drawing on literary analysis and scholarly discussions of digital propaganda and social media echo chambers, the study compares the mechanisms of nationalist mobilisation during the Swadeshi movement with contemporary forms of digital political communication. It argues that although the historical contexts and communication technologies differ, both periods demonstrate how political narratives can influence emotions, organise collective identities, and shape perceptions of belonging. At the same time, Tagore’s critique of aggressive nationalism offers an important perspective for understanding the tensions between patriotism, critical thinking, pluralism, and individual freedom in contemporary India.
Keywords
Rabindranath Tagore, The Home and the World, Swadeshi Movement, nationalism, political propaganda, social media, digital nationalism, identity construction, echo chambers.
Research Question
How does Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World critique nationalism and political propaganda during the Swadeshi movement, and how can its exploration of identity, emotional manipulation, and individual freedom help us understand the role of social media in shaping nationalist discourse and political identity in contemporary India?
Hypothesis
Tagore’s The Home and the World provides a valuable framework for understanding how nationalist narratives and emotional appeals can influence public opinion and construct collective identity, a process that continues in contemporary digital culture through social media and political propaganda, raising concerns about critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and individual freedom.
1. Introduction
Nationalism is a powerful political and cultural force through which individuals develop a sense of belonging to a nation. It creates connections between people through shared histories, languages, cultural traditions, political aspirations, and collective memories. Nationalist movements have played an important role in anti-colonial struggles, particularly in India, where the desire for independence encouraged people from different social backgrounds to participate in political movements. However, nationalism is not always a straightforward expression of unity or freedom. It can also become a means of political manipulation when leaders use patriotic emotions to influence public opinion, silence disagreement, or establish divisions between those considered loyal to the nation and those regarded as its opponents.
Rabindranath Tagore, one of the most influential literary and intellectual figures of modern India, examined these contradictions through his literary works and political thought. His novel The Home and the World presents a complex exploration of nationalism during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal. Rather than treating nationalism as an unquestionable moral ideal, Tagore investigates its psychological, ethical, and social consequences. The novel explores how political movements can inspire collective action while simultaneously encouraging emotional manipulation, intolerance, and the suppression of individual judgement.
The central characters of the novel represent contrasting approaches to nationalism and political responsibility. Nikhil advocates freedom of thought, ethical responsibility, and respect for individual choice. Sandip represents an aggressive form of nationalism that relies on emotional persuasion, political spectacle, and the glorification of the nation. Bimala, Nikhil’s wife, becomes the central figure through whom the novel examines the relationship between personal identity, political awakening, and ideological influence. Her movement from the domestic world into nationalist politics demonstrates how political ideas can transform an individual’s understanding of herself and her relationship with society.
The novel becomes particularly relevant when examined alongside contemporary social media. Digital platforms have transformed the ways in which political messages circulate and how individuals encounter information about national identity, public affairs, and social conflict. Images, videos, hashtags, online campaigns, and algorithmically recommended content can influence political discussions and emotional responses. Political propaganda can also spread through misleading information, selective representations of events, and content designed to provoke anger or strengthen existing beliefs.
The transition from the Swadeshi movement to social media does not mean that historical nationalist politics and digital political communication are identical. They operate within different technological, institutional, and social conditions. Nevertheless, comparing them provides an opportunity to examine recurring questions about political persuasion, collective identity, public opinion, and individual judgement.
This assignment argues that The Home and the World provides a valuable literary framework for understanding how nationalism can become a mechanism of political mobilisation and identity construction. By bringing Tagore’s novel into conversation with contemporary research on digital propaganda and social media echo chambers, the study investigates the continuities and differences between nationalist mobilisation in the early twentieth century and political communication in the digital age.
2. Historical and Literary Context: The Swadeshi Movement and Tagore’s Nationalism
The Swadeshi movement emerged as a significant phase of Indian nationalism during the partition of Bengal in 1905 by the British colonial government. The partition generated widespread opposition among sections of the Bengali population and encouraged political mobilisation against colonial rule. Swadeshi, meaning “of one’s own country,” promoted the use of indigenous goods and the rejection of British manufactured products. The movement also involved public meetings, demonstrations, national education initiatives, cultural activities, and efforts to strengthen indigenous economic production.
The movement represented more than an economic boycott. It became a means of expressing resistance to colonial domination and developing a collective political identity. Through public speeches, songs, literature, and organised campaigns, nationalist leaders attempted to transform individual dissatisfaction into collective action. National identity was strengthened through symbols of the motherland, indigenous culture, sacrifice, and shared political aspirations.
However, the Swadeshi movement also generated disagreements about the methods and consequences of nationalist mobilisation. While some nationalists supported direct political action and economic boycott, others questioned whether coercion, social exclusion, and emotional pressure could genuinely produce freedom. The movement raised important questions about the relationship between national independence and individual liberty.
Tagore participated in the cultural and political atmosphere surrounding Swadeshi but became increasingly critical of aggressive nationalism and the coercive methods associated with certain forms of nationalist mobilisation. His position should not be understood as simple opposition to Indian independence or attachment to colonial rule. Rather, he questioned whether political freedom could be achieved through methods that restricted ethical judgement, encouraged hostility, or placed the nation above humanity.
These concerns form the intellectual background of The Home and the World. The novel represents nationalism not merely as a political doctrine but as a force that enters personal relationships, influences emotional life, and reshapes social identities. The domestic household becomes a space in which larger political conflicts are experienced and negotiated.
The historical context is important because it demonstrates that nationalism was never a completely unified ideology. Different individuals and groups understood national freedom differently. For some, nationalism required sacrifice and direct action; for others, it needed to remain connected to moral responsibility, social harmony, and respect for individual freedom.
Tagore’s novel explores this conflict through its characters. Rather than presenting a simple historical account of the Swadeshi movement, it investigates the ethical consequences of political ideas when they become powerful forces in everyday life.
3. Nationalism and Political Propaganda in The Home and the World
In The Home and the World, nationalism becomes a central means through which political authority and public emotion are organised. The novel presents competing approaches to national freedom, particularly through Nikhil and Sandip. Their differences reveal that political movements depend not only on their stated objectives but also on the methods used to achieve them.
Sandip represents an emotionally charged form of nationalism. He uses passionate speeches, symbolic language, and appeals to patriotic duty to encourage people to support the Swadeshi cause. His rhetoric presents the nation as an object of devotion and sacrifice. Such language can inspire collective participation, but the novel also demonstrates how it can reduce complex political questions to emotional demands.
Sandip’s political approach is significant because it reveals the distance that can exist between nationalist language and ethical conduct. Although he presents himself as a devoted servant of the nation, his actions frequently expose his personal ambitions and willingness to manipulate others. Nationalist ideals become instruments through which he seeks influence and authority.
This contradiction is central to the novel’s criticism of political propaganda. Propaganda does not necessarily operate through completely fabricated statements. It can also work through selective information, emotional exaggeration, repetition, symbolic association, and the suppression of inconvenient perspectives. A political message may present itself as an unquestionable expression of national interest while concealing the personal or institutional interests behind it.
Sandip’s rhetoric illustrates how political leaders can transform national loyalty into a test of personal morality. Those who accept his position appear patriotic, while those who question his methods risk being viewed as insufficiently committed to the nation. This creates a political environment in which disagreement becomes difficult because criticism can be interpreted as betrayal.
Nikhil offers a contrasting perspective. He supports freedom but refuses to accept that every action performed in the name of nationalism is automatically justified. His concern for ethical responsibility challenges the assumption that national interests should override individual judgement. He recognises that coercion and hatred cannot necessarily produce genuine freedom.
The contrast between Nikhil and Sandip therefore reveals two different political approaches. One depends on critical reflection and moral responsibility; the other depends on emotional mobilisation and the authority of nationalist rhetoric.
Tagore does not suggest that emotions have no place in political life. National movements naturally involve hope, anger, solidarity, and a desire for justice. The problem emerges when emotional attachment prevents people from examining the consequences of political action. In this sense, the novel provides an important distinction between patriotism as responsible concern for society and nationalism as an ideology that demands unquestioning loyalty.
The novel’s representation of propaganda remains relevant because political communication continues to use emotional narratives to influence public opinion. Whether communicated through a public speech, a newspaper, a television broadcast, or a social media post, political messages can encourage people to identify strongly with a collective cause while discouraging them from questioning its methods.
Tagore’s central concern is not simply whether nationalism is good or bad. Instead, he asks what happens when political ideals become detached from ethical responsibility. This question provides a foundation for examining contemporary political propaganda without assuming that every nationalist message or social media campaign is necessarily manipulative.
4. Gender, Identity, and Political Mobilisation: Bimala, Nikhil, and Sandip
One of the most important aspects of The Home and the World is its exploration of gender and identity. Through Bimala, Tagore examines how political participation can challenge established social roles while also exposing individuals to new forms of influence and control.
At the beginning of the novel, Bimala’s identity is closely associated with domestic life. Her relationship with Nikhil reflects the social expectations placed upon women in the period. Nikhil, however, encourages her to move beyond the restrictions of the household and develop an independent understanding of herself. His approach suggests that freedom cannot be imposed upon another person; it must involve the development of independent judgement.
Sandip’s arrival introduces Bimala to a different model of political and personal identity. His charismatic nationalism appeals to her emotions and imagination. Through him, the nation becomes associated with excitement, sacrifice, power, and a sense of participation in something larger than her domestic existence.
Bimala’s attraction to Sandip is therefore connected to more than an individual romantic or emotional relationship. It also reflects her desire to discover a new identity within a changing political world. She becomes drawn to the possibility of becoming an active participant in national life rather than remaining confined to traditional domestic expectations.
However, Sandip’s influence complicates this transformation. He treats nationalist enthusiasm as a means of gaining personal influence over Bimala. His political language blurs the distinction between public responsibility and private desire. As a result, Bimala’s search for freedom becomes entangled with manipulation and uncertainty.
The novel thus questions whether participation in a political movement necessarily produces emancipation. An individual may leave one restrictive social environment only to become subject to another form of control. Genuine freedom requires the ability to evaluate political messages independently rather than simply replacing one authority with another.
Nikhil’s position is also important in this discussion. Although he supports Bimala’s independence, he does not attempt to dictate her beliefs. His attitude suggests that freedom includes the right to make choices, even when those choices create disagreement or personal difficulties.
Through these contrasting relationships, Tagore demonstrates that identity is shaped through interactions between individual desires, social expectations, political ideologies, and structures of power. Bimala’s identity is neither completely fixed by tradition nor entirely liberated by nationalism. It develops through conflict, persuasion, experience, and reflection.
This analysis also creates a connection with contemporary social media. Digital platforms offer individuals opportunities to express opinions, participate in public discussions, join communities, and challenge established identities. They can provide visibility to voices that have traditionally received limited representation.
At the same time, online political communities can create pressure to adopt particular positions. Individuals may feel that acceptance within a group depends on expressing the correct political opinions or demonstrating sufficient loyalty to a collective cause. Public approval, criticism, and the circulation of emotionally charged content can influence how individuals present themselves.
The comparison with Bimala must remain interpretive rather than literal. Her experiences belong to a specific historical and literary context, whereas digital identity operates through contemporary technological systems. Nevertheless, her story encourages readers to ask whether political participation strengthens independent judgement or encourages dependence upon influential personalities and collective expectations.
5. From Swadeshi to Social Media: The Transformation of Political Propaganda
The development of social media has significantly changed the speed, scale, and organisation of political communication. During the Swadeshi movement, political messages circulated through speeches, printed publications, songs, public gatherings, and personal networks. Contemporary political communication also operates through television, online news, messaging applications, video-sharing platforms, and social networking sites.
The most important difference is not simply the replacement of one communication technology with another. Digital platforms allow political content to circulate rapidly across large networks, often enabling ordinary users to participate in the production and distribution of political messages. Individuals can share videos, create memes, publish commentary, and participate in campaigns without depending entirely on traditional media organisations.
These opportunities can strengthen democratic participation. Social media can help people discuss public issues, document events, organise peaceful campaigns, and challenge inaccurate official narratives. It can also make political information available to individuals who previously had limited access to public platforms.
However, the same characteristics can facilitate propaganda and misinformation. Content may circulate widely before its accuracy has been established. Emotionally powerful images or short videos can influence public opinion without providing the historical or political context needed to interpret them correctly.
Political propaganda in the digital age can involve misleading claims, manipulated images, selective presentation of facts, impersonation, coordinated messaging, and the deliberate encouragement of hostility towards particular groups. Yet it is important to distinguish propaganda from political persuasion in general. Political communication is not automatically propaganda merely because it seeks to influence public opinion. The relevant questions concern accuracy, context, intention, transparency, and the methods through which influence is exercised.
Neyazi’s study of digital propaganda, political bots, and polarised politics in India provides a relevant scholarly framework for examining the relationship between digital communication and political competition. It draws attention to the role of online networks in shaping political discussion and the potential consequences of coordinated political communication (Neyazi).
The comparison with Sandip’s political rhetoric is useful because both contexts raise questions about the relationship between emotional appeal and political judgement. Sandip uses passionate language and nationalist symbolism to strengthen his influence. Contemporary digital political communication can similarly employ emotionally charged messages to encourage sharing, strengthen group identification, or discredit opponents.
Nevertheless, Sandip should not be described as a direct equivalent of a modern political bot or social media influencer. He is a fictional character whose political methods can illuminate broader questions about persuasion and power. Digital propaganda, by contrast, involves technologies, networks, institutions, and patterns of communication that did not exist during the Swadeshi period.
The comparison is therefore based on a recurring political problem: the possibility that emotional identification with a cause can make people less willing to examine the information and methods through which that cause is promoted.
Tagore’s novel encourages readers to consider not only the message being communicated but also the interests of the person communicating it. This remains a useful principle when encountering political content online.
6. Digital Nationalism, Echo Chambers, and the Construction of Collective Identity
Social media platforms provide spaces in which national identity is represented, negotiated, and contested. Users encounter narratives about national history, cultural traditions, political achievements, social problems, and collective aspirations. These narratives can strengthen solidarity and encourage participation in public life. However, they can also produce simplified or exclusionary understandings of national belonging.
National identity is not simply a natural or permanent characteristic. It is shaped through historical narratives, cultural representations, political institutions, public debate, and everyday practices. People learn how to understand their relationship with a nation through the stories and symbols that circulate within society.
In digital environments, these processes become especially visible. A photograph, historical quotation, political slogan, or short video may be shared as evidence of national pride or as a criticism of a political opponent. The meaning of the content depends on its context, its presentation, and the interpretations offered by the people who share it.
Repeated exposure to similar messages can strengthen particular understandings of national identity. When users repeatedly encounter content that confirms their existing beliefs, they may become more confident in their own interpretations and less receptive to alternative perspectives.
Matteo Cinelli and his co-authors examine the echo chamber effect on social media, investigating how online structures and patterns of interaction contribute to the concentration of users around particular information sources and viewpoints (Cinelli et al.). Their work provides a useful basis for discussing how online networks can reinforce existing beliefs and contribute to polarised public discussion.
An echo chamber can be understood as an environment in which people predominantly encounter information and opinions that support their existing perspectives. Such environments may develop through users’ own choices, patterns of social interaction, platform recommendation systems, or a combination of these factors. However, not every online community is an echo chamber, and the strength of these effects varies across platforms and contexts.
When political identity becomes closely connected to group membership, disagreement may be interpreted as a personal or collective threat. Individuals may begin to evaluate information according to whether it supports their group rather than whether it is accurate. Political opponents can then be represented as enemies rather than fellow citizens with different views.
This process resembles one of the central concerns in The Home and the World. Sandip’s rhetoric creates a powerful distinction between those who demonstrate nationalist commitment and those whose positions complicate his vision of national unity. The novel shows how political identity can become a means of establishing authority and judging the moral worth of others.
The parallel with digital nationalism lies in the construction of boundaries between an imagined national community and those represented as outside it. Such boundaries can be cultural, political, religious, linguistic, or ideological. They may emerge through legitimate political disagreements, but they can also be intensified through misleading claims and hostile representations.
It is important, however, not to assume that digital nationalism always produces exclusion. Online platforms can also encourage solidarity across geographical boundaries, preserve cultural traditions, support minority voices, and facilitate constructive debate. Their political consequences depend on how people use them, how information circulates, and how platforms and institutions respond to harmful content.
Tagore’s emphasis on ethical judgement provides a way to evaluate these competing possibilities. A healthy understanding of national identity should permit disagreement and recognise the diversity of people who constitute the nation. National belonging need not depend on unquestioning agreement with a single political narrative.
The novel therefore invites readers to distinguish between collective identity that encourages shared responsibility and collective identity that demands conformity. This distinction is especially important in a digital environment where political messages can reach large audiences quickly and where public reactions may influence how individuals express their beliefs.
7. National Identity and Political Propaganda in Contemporary India
The relationship between nationalism and political communication remains significant in contemporary India. Political parties, public institutions, news organisations, civil society groups, and individual citizens participate in debates about national history, cultural identity, development, security, and democratic values.
Social media has become an important space for these discussions. Political actors use digital platforms to communicate policies, promote campaigns, respond to criticism, and mobilise supporters. Citizens use the same platforms to express opinions, question public decisions, and share information about events.
The political effects of these activities are not uniform. Digital communication can expand access to political debate and provide opportunities for public accountability. It can also encourage misinformation, polarisation, and the circulation of claims that have not been adequately verified.
Neyazi’s discussion of digital propaganda and polarised politics in India is relevant because it situates online political communication within the country’s wider political environment (Neyazi). The significance of digital propaganda lies not only in whether a particular message is true or false but also in how communication networks affect the visibility, repetition, and interpretation of political claims.
The construction of national identity is particularly important in this context. Political messages may define national pride through historical achievements, cultural heritage, economic progress, or collective sacrifice. Other messages may frame the nation as threatened by particular social groups, political opponents, or external forces. These representations can influence which issues people consider important and how they understand their responsibilities as citizens.
Contemporary Hindi cinema offers another useful perspective on the relationship between popular culture and national identity. Bhattacharya examines changing dynamics of Indian nationalism in contemporary Hindi movies, while Iyer and Das investigate the use of history to invoke nationalism in Hindi cinema (Bhattacharya; Iyer and Das). Their work provides a way to consider how historical narratives and cultural representations can contribute to contemporary understandings of the nation.
Cinema and social media are different forms of communication, but they may interact in the circulation of nationalist ideas. A film scene, dialogue, or historical representation can become the subject of online discussion and be used to support particular political interpretations. Short clips and memes may circulate independently of the original work, sometimes reducing a complex narrative to a single symbolic message.
Tagore’s novel offers a useful contrast because it does not present national identity as a simple matter of emotional loyalty. Through Nikhil, Sandip, and Bimala, it explores the tensions between political conviction, ethical responsibility, and personal freedom.
This perspective encourages a critical approach to contemporary political communication. Rather than automatically accepting or rejecting nationalist messages, readers can ask several questions: Who is producing the message? What evidence supports it? Which perspectives are included or excluded? What emotions does it seek to evoke? Does it encourage informed participation or discourage independent thought?
These questions are relevant to the study of digital propaganda because they direct attention towards the relationship between information, power, and public judgement. They also help distinguish legitimate expressions of patriotism from political strategies that depend on manipulation or hostility.
Tagore’s continuing relevance therefore lies not in providing a direct prediction of social media but in offering an ethical framework for examining the uses and consequences of political power.
8. Comparative Discussion: Nationalist Mobilisation in the Swadeshi Era and the Digital Age
A comparison between the Swadeshi movement and contemporary digital nationalism reveals both continuities and differences. The two periods are separated by significant changes in technology, political institutions, media systems, and social conditions. Nevertheless, both demonstrate the importance of communication in shaping political identity and collective action.
First, both contexts show how political messages can connect individuals to a larger collective identity. During the Swadeshi movement, speeches, songs, printed materials, and public meetings helped communicate ideas about national freedom and indigenous economic activity. In the digital age, social media posts, videos, hashtags, and online campaigns can similarly bring individuals together around political causes.
Second, both contexts demonstrate the significance of emotion in political mobilisation. Nationalist movements often depend on feelings of solidarity, hope, anger, pride, and sacrifice. These emotions can support legitimate resistance and democratic participation. However, emotional appeals can also be used to discourage critical examination when political leaders present their own interpretations as unquestionable expressions of national interest.
Third, both contexts raise questions about who has the authority to define national loyalty. In The Home and the World, Sandip’s rhetoric makes his understanding of nationalism appear morally superior, while Nikhil’s position challenges the assumption that loyalty requires agreement with a particular political strategy. In contemporary digital environments, similar disputes occur when political messages portray disagreement as evidence of disloyalty or treat a single political perspective as the only legitimate expression of national identity.
Fourth, the role of communication technology differs substantially. During the Swadeshi period, political communication depended heavily on physical gatherings, print culture, and interpersonal networks. Contemporary social media enables rapid distribution across large and geographically dispersed audiences. Users can also participate as producers of political content rather than remaining only its recipients. This change expands opportunities for participation while creating new challenges involving verification, context, and the speed of circulation.
Fifth, the relationship between individuals and political authority has changed. Sandip’s influence in the novel depends on his personal charisma and his ability to persuade those around him. Contemporary digital political influence can involve political leaders, organised groups, influencers, automated accounts, platform recommendation systems, and ordinary users. Influence is therefore distributed across more complex networks than the interpersonal relationships represented in the novel.
These differences prevent a simplistic equation between Sandip’s political behaviour and contemporary online propaganda. The novel is a literary work concerned with the ethical and psychological dimensions of nationalism, whereas digital propaganda requires attention to specific technologies, communication practices, and institutional contexts.
Nevertheless, the comparison remains valuable because it identifies a recurring tension between collective mobilisation and individual judgement. Political movements require communication and shared commitments, but these commitments become problematic when they discourage people from questioning the claims made in their name.
The most important lesson of this comparison is that national identity should not be understood as something that must remain unquestioned. It can be strengthened through critical discussion, historical understanding, and respect for different perspectives. Tagore’s novel encourages readers to recognise that the moral value of a political movement depends not only on its stated goals but also on the methods through which it seeks to achieve them.
9. Conclusion
Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World offers a significant literary examination of nationalism, political persuasion, and the construction of identity during the Swadeshi movement. Through Nikhil, Sandip, and Bimala, the novel explores the relationship between political ideals and personal freedom. It demonstrates how nationalist rhetoric can inspire collective participation while also becoming a means of emotional manipulation and the exercise of power.
The novel remains relevant to contemporary discussions of social media because digital platforms have become influential spaces for the circulation of political narratives and the negotiation of national identity. Research on digital propaganda and social media echo chambers helps explain how online communication can reinforce existing beliefs, shape political perceptions, and contribute to polarised public discussion. At the same time, digital platforms can expand democratic participation, support public accountability, and provide opportunities for diverse voices to be heard.
The comparison between the Swadeshi movement and contemporary digital nationalism must recognise the historical and technological differences between the two periods. Their communication systems, political environments, and forms of participation are not identical. Yet both contexts raise enduring questions about emotional persuasion, collective belonging, political authority, and independent judgement.
Tagore’s contribution lies in his insistence that the nation should not become an unquestionable authority above ethical responsibility and human freedom. His novel encourages readers to distinguish between responsible patriotism and forms of nationalism that demand conformity or encourage hostility. It also suggests that genuine freedom requires more than participation in a collective cause; it requires the ability to reflect, question, and make independent moral decisions.
Ultimately, moving from Swadeshi to social media reveals a continuing challenge in political life: how to create a sense of national belonging without sacrificing critical thought and individual liberty. Tagore’s The Home and the World remains valuable because it reminds readers that the strength of a nation depends not merely on the intensity of nationalist feeling but also on the ethical judgement, intellectual freedom, and mutual respect of its citizens.
Works Cited
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Cinelli, Matteo, et al. “The Echo Chamber Effect on Social Media.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118, no. 9, 2021, article e2023301118, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023301118.
Iyer, J. B., and S. Das. “Leveraging History to Invoke Nationalism: From the Annals of History to Social Engineering of Present and Future in Hindi Cinema.” National Identities, vol. 27, nos. 1–2, 2025, pp. 155–174, https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2024.2365914.
Neyazi, T. A. “Digital Propaganda, Political Bots and Polarized Politics in India.” Asian Journal of Communication, vol. 30, no. 1, 2020, pp. 39–57, https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2019.1699938.
Tagore, Rabindranath. The Home and the World. Translated by the author, Macmillan, 1919.
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