Author: Atiq Raja

By Atiq Raja Patriotism is so often presented as a simple emotion — love for one’s country, expressed through flags, anthems and familiar calls to unity. It is easy to romanticize: the promise of sacrifice, a sense of belonging, a shared fate. However, the idea becomes far more complicated in societies where justice is scarce, democracy feels performative, and national wealth drains steadily into the pockets of an untouchable elite. What does it mean to love your country when the state appears unwilling to love its own people back? When the poor grow poorer, the rich entrench their privilege, and…