It can be said undeniably that people are always divided into two sections, one saying that patriotism benefit the society and other contradicts this statement by saying that it creates the problem within the nation. In my view, this segregation comes with both benefits as well as drawbacks, depending on how it influences society and government policies.
One of the drawbacks of patriotism is that it forces the government to promote a particular section of the society by designing policies that favour them. This may include providing additional job opportunities or reservations in competitive exams. The experts suggest that it may create division within society and develop an “US-versus-Them” mentality. For example, the recent situation in Bangladesh demonstrates how disagreement over quota for the descendants of freedom fighters contributed to tensions between different groups leading to widespread political unrest.
Conversely, some believes that patriotism increase awareness in the ordinary citizens of the society, motivating them to ask questions from their elected representatives regarding development, economic policies or corruption. All this can make the government more accountable for its actions and encourage representatives to work in the public interest.
Furthermore, a strong sense of patriotism motivates the government to design policies that favour the economic growth of the nation and provide their citizen a better and more comfortable lifestyle. Countries like China and India demonstrate how national pride can encourage governments to focus on economic development and national progress.
In conclusion, there are noticeable differences in how different people sees patriotism, but I believe that the positive aspect of patriotism outweighs the negatives.