What do you think Gandhi meant about the importance of a national spirit?

Well I've read a lot about Gandhi, and in doing so I think I came up with a pretty good idea of what he meant by this. Well first off it sounds like he meant by national spirit that you, and every one else as a nation must love their country. And by saying that it is necessary for national existence means that if most people hate their own country then it won't work as a whole. For example most people in Mexico don't like living there, and look at it now it's overrun with drug dealers, disease, and poverty. In doing this instead of trying to work at making their country better they try leaving instead of giving it a chance by loving it, and helping it develop. Now look at america we all love it, and have even wrote songs about how great it is. Now it's prosperous maybe not at it's best, but still better then most places. Gandhi certainly meat this, because although not being born in India still tried to free it, and taught people to love it. He tried to keep the country out of a civil war by making Pakistan it's own country. Now don't get me wrong National spirit isn't the most important thing in forming a great country, but it is important, and won't function well if it's people hate the country.