Liberalisation and Hindutva: New Threats to National Unity governments vis-a-vis national unity, reflecting the bourgeois-landlord concerns, have become discredited. It is sought to be replaced by a reactionary and menacing version of nationhood based on Hindutva. The Left, while being in the forefront in rallying all democratic and secular forces in preventing such an ultra-nationalist takeover, must work towards a new compact for national unity. Such an approach should contain the following: Restructuring the present state structure on federal lines; allocation of more powers to the states; the struggle which began in the sixties for more powers to the states has not led to any institutional changes with regard to centre-state relations. Along with the devolution of powers to the states, democratic decentralization of powers to the district and panchayat level. Revitalizing the planning process by popular participation through the local bodies. The demand to form smaller states out of the existing state units must be seen in the perspective of the formation of linguistic states. Violation of the principle of linguistic states would be anti-democratic. To meet the genuine needs of the ethnic minorities, particularly the tribal people, regional autonomy should be provided. Maximum autonomy beyond what is provided for in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution should be given. A democratic language policy based on the equality of all Indian languages; the protection of the rights of linguistic minorities within states where the majority speaks another language; recognition and encouragement of Urdu, given the discriminatory approach to it. The experience of the last decade of the twentieth century holds important lessons for Marxist theory and practice on nationalism. The eruption of virulent ethnic nationalisms after decades of socialist statehood in the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, the impetus given to these forces by imperialist globalization and the fragmentation of identities fostered by the media owned and run by the same powerful international monopolies, underline the necessity to constantly renew and update our understanding of nationalism and its various expressions. National/ethnic/linguistic identities and their appeal have a durability which endures major socio-economic transformations. They cannot be treated as if there is a permanent solution at one go for all time. In India, this requires that the Left review the solutions put forward in the past and come up with fresh alternatives. The unified multinational state in India has survived many vicissitudes in its fifty-year history. The system has shown the