Idea Of India

The Idea of India is a modern construct, India is but a geographical expression, do you agree?

Winston Churchill once said that " India is merely a geographical expression. It is no more a single country than the Equator."
Churchill was hardly ever right about India, but it is true that India stands out among all countries of the world in the matter of heterogeneity it displays in terms of ethnic groups, embracing almost all geographical landforms, from mighty Himalayas to vast seas and enormous plains and plateaus. It provides shelter to an immensely diverse population which speaks twenty two languages in twenty two thousand distinct dialects, have distinct cultural practices, have divisions, subdivisions in terms of caste, race
On the other hand, a religious framework would not be entirely sufficient to express the idea of India, Since it has been inhabiting 6 major religions since ancient times, It gave birth to two major religions Jainism and Buddhism displaying the innate spirituality pervading in Indian soil.

What is Idea of India ?
The heterogeneous strands of India like region, religion, caste, clans, tribes are bound by a single thread, which can be termed as Idea of India. It is a prism which is anchoring the all colors of
India in a beautiful spectrum. The Idea of India has pervaded Its soil since ancient times, it has become more prominent in modern times due to more means of connectivity and communication. India is proud of having a glorious past, which described it as BHARATVARSHA,
ARYAVRAT, which was united by Chakravarti Kings by several times, had a balanced society and balanced Values. Monarchs like Asoka and Akbar had long peaceful reigns as they were able to understand and administer the diversity of India in most appropriate ways.
This Idea seems to be scattered in medieval times where country was divided into several rajwadas and provinces, each kingdom having its own vested interests. At that time
During the course of time it has imbibed more modern values like liberty, equality, fraternity and during present times also, people are becoming more conscious of India as a nation.
During 2014 Lok Sabha elections the phrase “ Idea of India” was widely used in the manifesto of renowned politicians as the “ Spirit of India” , thinking, understanding and expectation of a common Indian.

Evolution of Idea of India: From ‘Epic Narratives’ to Nehruvian Nationalism and ‘Equity-Fraternity-Liberty and secularism’.
For the average Indian the Idea of India and his or her own identity is inseparable as it is entwined with mythic memories that are deeply rooted in Indian consciousness constantly reinforced by "narratives" in the epics.
Another important thing to bear in mind is that consecration of this land has played a crucially significant role in crystalising the Idea of India.
Adi Shankracharya, who is credited with establishing four monasteries in four different corners of the subcontinent but he was perhaps only formalising what the Hindu epics had documented for centuries before his birth.
The Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata describe a land and people that