“We should become parochial, narrow-minded, provincial, communal and caste-minded, because we have a great mission to perform. Let us, the citizens of the Republic of India, stand up straight, with straight backs and look up at the skies, keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground, and bring about this synthesis, this integration of the Indian People. Political integration has already taken place to some extent, but what I am after is something much deeper than that- an emotional integration of the Indian People so that we might be welded into one, and make into one strong national unit, maintaining at the same time all our wonderful diversity”.
These are the words from the speech delivered at Bangalore in October 1955, by our beloved leader Late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. The significance of these words is still more important today than they were uttered fifty eighty years back, because the tendency of disintegration in our society in the form of violence, communal disturbances, linguistic madness, or narrow regionalism is still visible in various forms in some parts of this vast country. No doubt, these episodes are tragic and demand our earnest attention, yet this does not mean that country as a whole is not functioning as one nation. What is needed is to bring about a greater degree of integration and unity than already exists. The wave of unrest and indiscipline that the country faces now and then should be taken as a challenge to maintain the unity of the country.
National integration helps to recognize the fact that we are all one although we belong to different castes, religions, regions and speak different languages. Integration is not unity or oneness due to racial and cultural similarity. It is unity in diversity. India is a vast country with second largest population in the world, next to China. About one thousand six hundred and fifty two languages and dialects are spoken in our country. Out of these, our Constitution has given eighteen languages a special recognition as National languages of our country. India is a country with over four thousand ethnic communities or endogamous groups. We practice the major religions of the world such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism etc. Accordingly, we also have varieties of costumes, food habits, and social customs. Regarding our land, it is diverse and there exists disparities in climate. In spite of all these differences, every part of India is governed under the same Constitution.
Unity is not uniformity. No individual is denied the faith in his or her religion or love for his language. Nevertheless, such faith or love should help and not hinder in developing national loyalty and national integration. The concept of integration, like the concept of secularism, is positive and it should not permit prejudices to grow. India is a multiracial, multi-religious, and multilingual, multi-regional nation without a parallel. Yet we have certain common characteristics which provide the very basis of our unity. If we have to preserve and enrich our hard won freedom, the process of national and emotional integration must continue and be strengthened. We did accept many challenges to win our freedom, now it is time to accept still greater challenges to preserve it.
National integration is a feeling of oneness, brotherhood and patriotism. It is opposed to narrow regional differences. It is a common mental bond that binds all Indians for one common ideal i.e peace and progress of this country. It inspires people to place loyalty to the country above group loyalties and regional loyalties. It is a fact beyond doubts that at the time of crisis or emergency this nation has stood as one and united. The sense of unity that the people showed at the time of Chinese aggression in1962 was commendable. It proved that the people were one at the time of outside danger. What is required today is more positive and lasting integration based on intelligent understanding and complete dedication to the nation.
Forces promoting National Integration
Constitution – Certain ideals and principles like Democracy, Secularism, and Social equality have been guaranteed under our Fundamental Rights in our Constitution. Moreover, the two major objectives of our Preamble are unity and integrity of the nation and it stipulates that every citizen has the fundamental responsibility to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integration of India.
Secularism – India is a secular state. This means that each citizen of our country has the right to practice his or her religion. The government cannot show preference to one religion at the expense of another. Secularism is essential not for maintaining communal harmony and peace, but for the very existence of our nation.
Democracy – This is one of the most essential conditions of National Integration. Every citizen of India is equal under the law of the country. Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy states that, each citizen is equal in every way irrespective of differences of caste, religion, language and culture. National festivals such as Independence Day, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jeyanthi are the festivals that are celebrated by all the Indians, which act as an important unifying force, and they remind us of our common nationality, language, religion or culture regardless of our common nationality.
Our national symbols like the National Flag, National Anthem and National Emblem acts as a strong unifying forces and remind us the fact that we are one especially in times of celebration and adversity. The various regions, mountains, rivers mentioned in the National Anthem make us respectfully acknowledge the unity of our country in its diversity.
National integration is very much necessary for the security and development our country. This is well indicated by launching big programmes of social and economic reconstruction through our Five Year Plans. For complete success of our plans, the active support of the common people is essential. Our plans should be People’s Plan. We have to mobilize maximum of popular support for the achievement of ideals of socialistic pattern of society, in which a sense of oneness, unity and solidarity plays very prominent role. Only approach to the patriotic feelings of the people or high talks about our rich culture of the past will not bring any lasting solution to the problems of national integration and unity. A more nationalistic approach is required. If we are convinced that in the present state of our progress and development we must make a deliberate effort to develop national consciousness agreeable to reason, it is a legitimate demand that our educational system should be geared to fulfill this purpose. All our educational institutions- primary, secondary and higher- should become the instrument for the realization of the ideal of National Unity and the teacher studies plays a distinct role in this mighty task. Right type of Social Studies education can help to promote scientific and national thinking which in its turn will help to take balanced and unbiased views of the situation.