Its meaning: A person who strongly supports and is ready to defend his country is a patriot. The feelings and the qualities of a patriot are known as patriotism. Every country in the world has produced such persons. A patriot is loved and honoured by all we all are indebted to our mother-land. We are born here and we grow up on this soil.
Patriotism does not mean only to fight for the liberation of one’s own country from the burden of foreign rule. It includes true love and honest feeling for fellow men and passionate work for country’s progress.
A true patriot: A true patriot is he who can give away his life and all for his country. The future of the country depends on its rulers. If the rulers are true patriot, they think of the interests of the country and the people. They go on doing something for the good of the nation. A patriot keeps the nation’s interest above his own. He tries to lead the people to the right way of living. He is kind, loving, truthful and honest.
A false patriot: But there are some false patriots. They always like to take undue advantage of the situation. They are men of no principle and character. They have no high sense of morality and sacrifice. They are selfish. They live in a small world of their own. Such people are the enemies of the nation.
Patriot’s rewards: A true patriot lives and dies for his motherland. He is loved and respected in life and also after his death. Such a patriot is immortal. Among such men are Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose and others in the modern age. Among the ancients were Maharana Pratap, Shivaji and others. A patriot is bold and fearless in the face of even death. He knows:
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once. – Shakespeare
Conclusion: But a patriot has to think not only of the national interest but also of the international brotherhood. He has to rise above national feelings. He has to think of the good of the human race. Mahatma Gandhi rightly says, “My patriotism includes the good of mankind in general”.