Nationalism fundamentally is a system created by people who believe that their nation is superior to all others. Most often, this sense of superiority has its roots in a shared ethnicity ,shared language, religion, culture, or a set of social values. Most people use the words Patriotism and Nationalism inter-changeably. This is incorrect since there is a world of difference between the two concepts, in spite of a few shared ideals. While patriotism fundamentally means fondness for one's country and willingness to defend it, nationalism is the uttermost, unforgiving form of allegiance to one's country. As opposed to patriotism, which revolves around social conditioning and personal opinion, nationalism involves national identity and the belief that one's nation and or its government is supreme. People need to understand the difference between being a patriot and being a nationalist. As George Orwell in his famous essay named Notes on Nationalism said," While nationalism can unite people it must be noted that it unites people against other people." In India, during the freedom struggle, leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose used nationalism as a key to unite our subcontinent's diverse population against the British rule. However, while nationalism can unite people it must be realised that it unites people against other people. We must not forget that it was nationalism driven by religious identity and political qualm which caused the Partition of India in 1947. It was also the same nationalism which was central to Hitler's philosophy of believing that the Aryans were a superior race. His philosophy eventually caused the holocaust death toll of at least 11 million people . Nationalism also led the Japanese to invade China in 1937 and precipitate the Second World War. We need to understand that Nationalism focuses on the State while Patriotism focuses on the citizens. It is important to love our country but we should also keep in mind that the democratic ideals are the most important. The main outcome of nationalism lies in the fact that it can blind people. Love for one's country is imperative and necessary, but if this love becomes more important than Constitutional values or democratic ideals, it is misplaced. As said by Charles de Gaulle that patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first. In the end it is up to you to choose to be a patriot or a nationalist.

The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole. Since 1906, the global average surface temperature has increased by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius)—even more in sensitive polar regions. And the impacts of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future–the effects of global warming are appearing right now. The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, shifting precipitation patterns, and setting animals on the move. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. All of these changes are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters, including storms, heat waves, floods, and droughts. A warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and drop more water, changing weather patterns in such a way that wet areas become wetter and dry areas drier. While heavier rains cause streams, rivers, and lakes to overflow, which damages life and property, contaminates drinking water, creates hazardous-material spills, and promotes mold infestation and unhealthy air. A warmer, wetter world is also a boon for food-borne and waterborne illnesses and disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. Today's scientists point to climate change as "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century." It's a threat that impacts all of us—especially children, the elderly, low-income communities, and minorities—and in a variety of direct and indirect ways. As temperatures spike, so does the incidence of illness, emergency room visits, and death. Rising temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground level ozone, which is created when pollution from cars, factories, and other sources react to sunlight and heat. Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, and the hotter things get, the moreover of it we have. As land and sea undergo rapid changes, the animals that inhabit them are doomed to disappear if they don't adapt quickly enough. Some will make it, and some won't. These are only one of the few consequences of Climate Change. We have to take an action as soon as possible. What’s the single biggest way that we can make an impact on global climate change? We need to speak up! We need to talk to our friends and family, and make sure our representatives are making good decisions. By voicing our concerns—via social media or, better yet, directly to our elected officials—we send a message that we care about the warming world. We need to start from reducing water waste and cutting meat in our diet. By making small minor changes in our lifestyle we can play a very important role in saving our earth.

On 15 April 2019, just before 18:20 (CEST), a structure fire broke out beneath the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and soon President Emmanuel Macron announced that the cathedral would be restored, as he launched a fundraising campaign which soon brought in pledges of over €1 billion. The sudden rolling in of funds has raised many eyebrows. France's mega-rich have stumped up huge sums to restore the gothic architecture, with billionaires Bernard Arnault (€200M) and Francois-Henri Pinault (€100M) among the biggest donors. One early estimate by French construction economists suggests that the donations may far surpass the cost of repairs. It is suggested that the cost of restoring Notre Dame will lie between €300 million to €600 million. The level of donations has sparked a lot of criticism all around the globe as the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The generous donations have resulted in protests all across France especially by the yellow-vest demonstrators and people in regions across France like Marseilles where children are suffering and dying because of poverty and hunger. Over the past year, homelessness has increased by 21 percent in Paris. Yellow-vest demonstrators complained at the ease with which corporations and wealthy individuals had raised money for a building but had ignored months of protests against the sudden rise of high social inequality. The French are angry with Macron as they believe that he is prioritizing the wrong causes as France is currently facing a social emergency. Some even say that the donations have resulted in a 60% tax deduction for the big donors by the French government. People across social media questioned why similar support was not given to historically black Louisiana churches devastated in arson attacks, to the fight against climate change, or to development aid for African countries. But we should never forget that Notre-Dame is valuable as a beautiful, architecturally unique structure with a rich, romantic history. It’s also a mega tourist attraction that brings in hordes of visitors ( 13.6M visitors each year) who then dine, shop, and lodge in the area, creating perhaps thousands of jobs and helping to maintain the local economy. So it’s certainly a laudable goal to rebuild as quickly as possible. We should also keep in mind that the big donors especially the billionaires could have used the same money in buying a house or painting and no one could criticize or stop them. We should applaud them for their generous charitable donations .

(This article is not meant to hurt anyone's religious sentiments) India is a diverse country with many religions and is a secular State. This means that all religions are treated equally. The basic structure of our nation's sovereign, ’The Constitution' includes its secular character which is non amendable. Under the 42nd Amendment Act of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976,the word 'secular' was added to the Preamble. The government of India plays an extremely important role in upholding the secular nature of our nation. Our present Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said that, ”Secularism runs in our veins." but is this 'secularism' even real? The reality is far from the utopia we imagine when secularism comes in our mind. In India, under the name of secularism personal laws are granted to all religions. The Hindus have their own personal law while the Muslims, Parsis and Christians have theirs. There is no uniform civil code which should exist because we are secular. The children in our country are sent to religious institutions like Madrasas in Muslims and Christian Missionaries where they are mainly preached about their religions. In future these children face problems in interacting with people from other religions. I believe that they should be sent to schools which support diversity and have a secular character. The basic rights of women are allowed to be crushed under the name of religion which should not be happening in a progressive nation like ours. As I said earlier, the government plays an extremely important role in upholding the secular nature of our country. Is our present government actually promoting secularism or are they supporting one religion to buy votes? The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is promoting Hindutva because 79.8% of Indians are Hindus. They know that religion is a sensitive issue in our nation. It's a fact that for most Indians their religion comes before their nationality. I will give you an example. Today in a progressive nation like ours, a cow is a priority over human beings. Recently, a cow had died in the city of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. Inspector Subodh Kumar , a brave police officer was murdered mercilessly during the riots that had fumed across the city due to the cow’s death. When the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was reported about this incident, he simply told his men to find the cow's murderer first and then the inspector's! I respect the fact cows are sacred and that they are worshiped but isn't our nation secular and isn’t right to religion our fundmental right? Why is beef even banned? People who want to eat beef should be allowed to eat beef. It should be a personal choice. The views of the cow vigilantes can't be imposed on minorities and even beef eating Hindus. I believe that India is far from the concept of secularism where all religions are meant to be equal. Our nation is pseudo-secular or fake secular where policies are framed to appease the minorities for votes. In India people who claim to be secular are misunderstood as anti-Hindu or pro-minority. The word 'secularism' is only a euphemism of vote bank politics as said by the BJP leader LK Advani. Here secularism is only used by politicians to buy votes when the politicians don't even care about the welfare of the minorities. I clearly believe that India nowhere close to secularism and in the end ,I would just like to ask you one question, "Is India A Secular State?"