Exhibit A: A politician, businessman or celebrity. Twice a year, he hoists the flag and sings the national anthem, his chest swelling with pride at those two occasions.
Exhibit B: A Defence personnel, a security guard, a policeman, a fire-fighter. They dedicate their lives for the country. They are the first breed that come to mind when we think “patriotism”.
Exhibit C: A driver, municipal sweeper, house-maid, toilet cleaner, daily wage labourer, coolie, primary school teacher. Most of these people are probably illiterate; chances are that they don't know what a “flag” is and have never heard of something called a “national anthem”. But these are the people that keep the nation running.
So, who among these should be counted among true patriots? In other words, what place does tokenism and symbolism have in patriotism and nation-building?