Nationalism in Asia
| Date | 01 March 1951 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070205100600102 |
| Published date | 01 March 1951 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
NATIONALISM IN
ASIA
The Inaugural
Address
delivered
by
the
Honourable Jawaharlal
Nehru,
Prime
Minister
of
India,
at the
XI
Conference
of
the
Institute
of
Pacific
Relations
on
October
3,
1950,
at
Lucknow,
specially
edited for publication
in
International
Journal.
F
OR
A
LONG
time
past
I
have
thought
that
from
many points
of
view
the
problems
of
the
world
will be
more
and
more
entangled
in
the
Far
East,
and
that
in
a sense
the centre
of
gravity
of
the trouble
will
be
the
Far
East,
or
if
you
like,
not
the
Far
East
only
but
large
parts
of
Asia.
We
all
know
the
tremendous
importance
of
all
that
is
happen-
ing
in
Europe
and
other
parts
of
the
world,
and
I
do
not
mean
to
say
that
those
qhanges
are
to
be
passed over,
but
I
have
felt
,and
I
have
often
said
so,
that
in
the
perspective
of
history
today
Asia
demands
attention
in
many
ways-from
the point
of
view
of,
let
us
say,
develop-
ing undeveloped areas,
or providing
food
where
food
is
needed,
and
so
on,
but
much
more
so
in
understanding,
for
Asia
is
a
country
not
only
in
the
process
of
change
but
in
a
process
of
torment.
You
may
see
some
parts
of
Asia
quiet
and
relatively peaceful;
you
may
see
other
parts
torn
with troubles and
disturbances.
I
am
not
referring
to
that
so
much,
but
rather
to
the
inner
changes
that
are
taking
place,
all
over
the
world,
no
doubt,
but
perhaps
more
so
in
Asia
than
elsewhere,
not
because
there
is
a
special
virtue
in
Asia
but
because
we
have
been
kept
back
and
are
trying
to
catch
up.
We
have
been
entangled
in
past
things;
time
has
passed
by
and
we have
not
kept
pace
with
it,
and
so
we
have
arrived
at
a
stage when
we
have
to
run;
walking
is
not
enough.
In
running
we
stumble
and
fall
and
we
try
to
rise.
It
is
no
good anybody telling us
to
walk
slowly,
because
we
just
cannot
do
it.
We
realize
that
running,
especially in
an
old
continent
like
Asia,
in-
volves
risks
and
dangers
but there
is
no
help
and
no
choice
for
us.
For
there
is
a
torment
in
our
mind,
and
all
kinds
of
questions
are
before
us
which
we
seek
to
answer.
And
in
the
final
analysis,
if
you
seek
to
understand
us,
you will
understand
a
little
of
us
by
discussing our
economic, social
and
political
and
other
problems,
but
will
have to
look
deeper
to
understand
this
torment
in
the
mind
and
spirit
of
Asia.
It
takes
different
shapes in
different
countries,
of
course,
and
it
is
a
problem ultimately
for
ourselves
to understand
and
to
solve-with
the
help
of
others,
I
hope,
but
the
burden
is
on
us.
Others
can
help
as
others
can
hinder.
They
cannot
solve
it
for
us.
I
am
speaking
for
the
moment
of
national
tendencies.
If
you
ask
me
about
my
own
country-and
I
am
not a
man without
experience
of
my
country-it
is
very
difficult
for
me
to
give
an
answer
briefly
To continue reading
Request your trial