ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes the master-narrative of national territory as metonymic of Indianness, which lives in every Indian's psyche in varied forms. It highlights the postmodern conditions of statecraft and argues that India's unique position vis-à-vis its neighbours are still in its modernist phase. The chapter responds to various critiques of the modern state's obsession with territory and borders, and argues that such suspicion of borders is inconsistent with the security scenario of states like India. Although borders should be at the edge of territory, Étienne Balibar argues that the cartographic representation of national memory transports borders into the middle of the political space. The Hindi movies of the present time, particularly those on war and patriotism, represent the Indian nation-state as vulnerable and under threat. The message of these movies, sometimes loud and clear and sometimes subtle, is to strengthen the borders and ensure security for territory.
