Question

“There cannot be any divided loyalty”

Govind Ballabh Pant argued that in order to become loyal citizens, people had to stop focusing only on the community and the self: For the success of democracy one must train himself in the art of self-discipline. In democracies one should care less for himself and more for others. There cannot be any divided loyalty. All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the State. If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties, or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests, then democracy is doomed. CAD, VOL.II

How does G.B. Pant define the attributes of a loyal citizen?

Answer 1

1. Pants believed that a loyal citizen should think beyond his or her own community and personal interests.
2. A good citizen should develop self-discipline and learn to care less about selfish interests.
3. Citizens should show greater concern for the welfare of others.
4. Their loyalty should be directed towards the whole nation and the State, not only towards a particular group.
5. Pant warned that divided loyalties could create conflict between different communities.
6. He believed that democracy could succeed only when people placed national interest above narrow group interests.

Thus, according to Pant, a loyal citizen should be self-disciplined, responsible, unselfish and committed to the unity of the nation.