"I once remarked to Shahid that he was the closest that Kashmir had to a national poet. He shot back : A national poet maybe. But not a nationalist poet; please not that"
Pls explain this line
It is from The Ghat of the only World, snapshots class 11, pg 61

Dear Student,

Please see the answer below.

The author says "I once remarked to Shahid that he was the closest that Kashmir had to a national poet. He shot back : A national poet maybe. But not a nationalist poet; please not that", as Kashmir’s current plight represented the failure of the emancipatory promise of nationhood for Shahid.

Regards