This is a time to understand things. Fundamental things. Like do you and I understand the same things when we say the same things? Or are those things different things? Watan? Where is it? Show please. Where is it?

No please, not the map. And which map? There are many maps. Our maps.
Their maps. Maps in atlases. Maps on negotiating tables. Maps on paper. Maps in our heads. Maps we are given. Maps we are kept from. Sanctioned maps. Maps that will
violate sanction.

I am right in thinking — let me not say it out aloud, or on record, you know how things are these days with such things — that different people are right to imagine different shapes (or maps) of the watan? I mean there is the akhand watan, call it vision or imagination or ambition, but there is that notion of the akhand watan.

Then there is the vasudhaiv notion. The world in its entirety, not strictly a watan but a family, one family, the same family. Tough to tell how that happens. Especially given, you know... Just look around, you’ll see if you do not already. The whole blooming world a family? You must be either very funny or terribly cruel. Which probably reminds me of something worth mention. There is also the map that has been recently dented not in one place but several. Wonder what that makes the watan look like, nobody’s telling because nobody really knows.

But watan is more than maps, a lot, lot more. Watan, more than anything else, is people. We are now the watan with the most people in it, happened sometime ago. But this too is happening — a lot of people, thousands and thousands, are choosing to leave the watan for other watans. And many more are being asked to leave the watan by people belonging to this watan. Watan people telling other watan people to go away to another watan, very often one particular watan. We shall not name the watan because what fault is it of that watan, bhai? Then there is always this thing lurking in the works, this provision, like a promise to some and an apprehension to scores of others, that will by statute enable the extending of this watan people to other watans, it is not clear which. Meantime, what’s approaching is this watan time (and also that watan time).

It is that sort of time. Watan time. We do these things at this time. Watan things.

You want to tell me
You are this nation bar all
I get it, oh I see
Oh I see in you our fall.