Unity in Diversity

Essay No. 01

India is a big country. Her civilization is around 6000 years old. She has given birth to the world’s most important cultures and religious. She has also accepted different cultures of the world. People of many races have come to India and settled here. She has absorbed different faiths, cults, beliefs, sects, religious, language, manners, lifestyles, etc. Unity and synthesis are the embodiment of Indian culture.

India fundamental unity rests upon her peculiar type of culture. There is no single character or aspect that can be defined as culture. It is expressed through language, literature, religion, philosophy, customs, traditions and architecture. India has achieved cultural unity by fusion of many cultures. She has assimilated the good qualities from all cultures. Various cultural groups live side by side in India. This has made Indian society a multi cultural society.

In India people of different religious live together. Hence she has a multi religious society. Besides Hinduism other religious like Christianity Islam Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism have a large following in India. According to 2001 census Hinduism other religious like Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism have a large following in India. According to 2001 census Hinduism is practiced by more than 80.4 percent of the people there are 13.4 percent Muslim 2.3 percent Christians and 1.8 percent  Sikhs . The rest of the people follow Buddhism, Jainism and other religions.

India is famous for religious festivals. Hindu festivals like Diwali, Dussehra, Holi, etc. are celebrated all over the world. Muslims celebrate Eid. Christians celebrate Easter and Christmas. Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti. Buddha Purnima and Mahavir Jayanti are celebrated by the Buddhists and the jains respectively. During these festivals people exchange greeting forgetting their religious affiliations. That India is a clear from the preamble of our Constitutions.

We find a kind of emotional unity in our country. the very name of our country India brings us emotionally close. We may be in any part of the world but we will always be called Indians no matter what religion we follow and what region we belong to . India diversity has always been recognized as a source of its strength. When the British ruled India women and men from different cultural religious and regional background came together to oppose them. India freedom moment had thousands of people of different background in it. In his book The Discovery imposed from outside but rather it is something deeper and within its fold widest tolerance of belief and custom is practiced and every verity acknowledged and even emphasized.

Independent India inherited a conservative community which followed the rigidities of the caste system and had diverse religions. The Indian Constitution gave paramount importance to secularism. It declares that there would be no state religion in India. The state will neither establish religions of its own nor confer any special patronage upon any particular religion. The typical Indian concept of secularism is defined as Sarva Dharma Samabhava.

The Indian civilization has always been based on religious and moral values. Herein lays its unity and strength. In all parts of the country, cultural unity the unity of the way of life and outlook transcends the vast diversity in faiths and beliefs at times bordering on superstition, magic, charms and other practices. One may travel from one part of the country to another and everywhere he will recognize a common thread in some aspect of life which makes him feel at home. This is because the Indian culture has preserved its fundamental character through the ages. We have experience revolutionary economic and political changes in recent times but our past remains very much with us. Our rich cultural heritage has passed from one generation to another and in this process it has got nurtured and renewed.

Indian culture has remained alive and dynamic because it has always been tolerant of different cultures. It imbibed the good qualities other cultures and constantly upgraded itself. Influence of various cultures has made it rich and vibrant. Significant contributions have been made to it by the Dravidians, Aryans, Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Mughals and Europeans. The Persian and Western influences on our art literature painting and dress have now become an integral part of our own culture.

At times we have witnessed conflicts and disturbances. Certain anti national and external forces try to disrupt the unity of the country by encouraging communal feelings and sentiments. The demolition of Babri Masjid, Mumbai blasts, Massac of innocent Sikhs i the 1984 riots Gujarat riots of 2002, blasts in the capital of the country, terror attack in Mumbai etc. resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. The militancy problem in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East have further weakened the secular fabric of India. Terrorism should not be allowed to raise its ugly head and destroy our basic unity. We can overcome this problem id we bury our differences and work united for the unity and integrity of the country. In recent times there has been a cultural awakening of the educated youth who have become aware of the beauty of our art forms and crafts they have started taking interest in educating themselves about their rich cultural tradition. The government has also started organizing big cultural events to promote national integration.

Now National Youth Festival is celebrated from 8th to 12th January every year. This is a major activity under the programme of National Integration camp. The idea behind this Youth festival is to organize a gathering of the youth so that the concept of National Integration, spirit of communal harmony brotherhood, courage and adventurer may be propagated. It is the effort of the government to strengthen the common bond of unity that ties the people together in spite of the diversity in their religions and rich culture. We should strive to maintain the relationship of common brotherhood. We should uphold the torch of unity irrespective of our different faiths and creeds.

Essay No. 02

Unity in Diversity

Indian culture is a composite culture. In spite of vast variation in the languages, customs, rituals, religious beliefs and social norms of various ethnic groups, there is basic unity which runs through the Indian mainstream of life and thought. One of the remarkable characteristics of India has been its ability to adapt and absorb new ideas and respond to fresh challenges. This unique feature of Indian civilization has given it strength and unity despite the diversity.

India  is  a  vast  country  comprising many  ethnic  groups  with  myriad spoken  languages,  dialects  and regional  variations.  Its  people  profess and  practice  different  faiths  according  to  their  beliefs  which  is  reflected in  their  customs,  rituals,  morals,  norms,  dresses,  festivals,  etc.  The unique  feature  is  that  in  spite  of  his  diversity  they  are  essentially  united. History  is  witness  to  the  fact  that  though  several  foreign  invaders  have attacked  India,  none  ever  succeeded.,  in  obliterating  the  basic  Indian culture.  Indian  culture  emerged  richer  from  these  external  invasions because  of  its  inherent  tolerance  and  willingness  to  imbibe  and  learn. the  new,  thus  bringing  about  richness  to  AS  culture  through  the-process of  synthesis.

After Independence our Constitution declared, India a secular State, A secular State is not irreligious.  It  has  propound reverence  for  faiths and  gives  all  its  citizens  freedom  to  profess  and  practice  their  religious beliefs.  It  does  not  recognize  any  distinction  based  on  religion,  race, sex,  caste  or  colour.  In the eyes of law all are equal.  It  was  indeed  a sign  of  great  maturity  and  foresight  on  the  part  .of  the  Owners  of  our Constitution  that  they  did  not  impose  one  religion  or  language  on  the people.  Any  attempt  to  do  so  would  have  proved  counterproductive  and  defeated  the  very  purpose.  No  one  could  have  known  this  better than  the  people  who  fought  ,for  the  Independence  of  the  country  from foreign  rule.

In  those  early  days  of  struggle  for  independence,  people  from  all  Walks of life,  with  diverse  religious,  cultural,  social,  economic,  linguistic back-grounds,  stood  united  in  their  determination  to  throw  the  British  out  of .  the  country  and  take  the  reins  of  the  country  in  their  own  hands.  Even in  more  recent  times,  during   two  wars  with  Pakistan  and  one  with China,  the  entire  nation  stood  as  one  behind  its  armed  forces  to  boost its  morale.

Indian  civilization  has  always  been  based  on  religious  and  moral  values, Herein  lay  its  unity  and  strength.  In  all   parts  of  the  country,  cultural unity,  the  unity  of  the  way  of  life  and  outlook,  transcends  the  vast diversity  in  faiths,  beliefs—at  times  bordering  on  superstition,  magic, charms,  etc.—and  practices.  One  may  travel  from  one  end  of  the  country to  another  and  encounter  a  totally  different  tnilieu,  where  people  talk, dress  and  worship  differently,  yet  one  will  not  feel  a  stranger, Everywhere  he  will  recognize.  a  common  thread  in  some  aspect  of  life which  makes  him  feel  at  home.

Indian culture has preserved its fundamental character through the ages. We  have  experienced revolutionary  economic  and  political  changes  in recent  times,  but  our  past remains  very  much  with  us.  Our  rich  cultural heritage  is  passed  from  one generation  to  another  to  be  nurtured  and renewed  in  their  hands. 

Many  ancient  civilizations,  have  decayed  and  degenerated  because  .Of stagnation  and  resistance  to  changes  with  the  tide  of time.  Indian culture  has  remained  alive  and  dynamic  because  it  has  always  been  in contact  with,  other  cultures,  constantly  influencing  and  interacting  with them.  Significant,  contributions  have  been  made  to,  it  by  Aryans, Dravidians,  Greeks,  Persians,  Arabs,   Moghuls  and  Europeans.  Had  it not  been  for  the  tolerance  shown  by  the  people  of  India  during  the  rule of  foreigners  who  brought  in  their  own  traditions  and  sought  to  impose them  on  the  Indian  people,  the  flexible  Indian  culture  would  have  lost its moorings. The  Persian  and  western  influence  on  our  art,  literature, painting,  dress  have  now  become  an  integral  part  of  our  own  culture.

However, we cannot keep our eyes closed to the reality.  We  are  passing through  turbulent  times,  when  certain  anti-national  and  external  forces are trying  to  disturb  the  unity  of  the  country  by  encouraging  communal feelings  and  sentiments.  It  has  led  to  increasing  intolerance,  disharmony and,  lawlessness  and  also  to  riots  and  killings  of  innocent  people  and virtually  terrorized  people.  In  panic,  when  the  people  face  threat  to their  lives,  they  tend  to  cling  to  their  socio-religious  groups  which  lead to  distrust  of  the  intentions  of  other  people  belonging  to  different communities.  Terrorism  should  not  be  allowed  to  raise  its  ugly  head and  destroy  our  basic  unity. When a  country  is  torn  by  internal  strife there  is  always  a  danger  of  external  aggression.

Today  Indian  culture  is  in  a  stage  of  transition  and  progress.  The  winds of  change  in  the  wake  of  rapid  advancement  of  science  and  technology have  swept  over  the  entire  world  including  our  country.  But  there  should not  be  an  indiscriminate  following  of  the  western  modes  to the  utter disregard  of  what  suits  the  nation.  Certain cultural and social changes are inevitable with the times.  However,  it  is  the  moral  responsibility of  the  people  to  ensure  conservation  of  their  own  cultural  tradition. People  should  not  be  allowed  to  forget  their  own  cultural  and  social heritage.  Exposed  to  western  culture  the  educated  youth adopt the western  life  style—western  fashion,  tastes,  dresses,  fast  foods, etc. and  create  a  big  gulf  between  themselves  and  the rural  masses.  This trend should be checked.

While  it  is  universally  accepted  that  science  and  technology  should  be increasingly  used  to  raise  productivity,  standard  of  living  of  the  people, reform  the  existing  social  stricture,  it  is  also  felt  that  only  when  we have  combined  these  with  our  values can  we  achieve  success  and guarantee  a  balance  between  tradition  and  modernity  and  retain  the distinction  of  being  a  country  unique  for  maintaining  Unity  in  spite  of diversity.

Our  rich  cultural  heritage  is  a  legacy  which  should  be  preserved  at  all costs.  A  correct  balance  of  traditional,  values  with  modern  ideas  should be  the  objective.  The  future  generations  should  be  able  to  hold  their head  with  pride  for  being  born  in a  country  with  rich  tradition  of  values and  morals.  Our goal  should  be  to  achieve  a  happy  synthesis  of  new trends  of  science  and  traditional  ideals  which  have  sustained  the  country through  all  times.

In  recent,  times,  there  has  been  a  cultural reawakening  among  the educated  youth  who  have  become  aware  of  the  beauty  of  our  art  forms, crafts  and  have  started  taking  a  keen  interest  in  educating  themselves about  their  rich  cultural  tradition.  Government  has  also  in,  its  effort  to promote  national  integration  started  organizing  big  cultural  events  and has  set  up  four  regional  cultural  centers  in  different  parts  of  the  country. All these attempts should help in strengthening the common bond.  of unity  that  ties  the  people  together  in  spite  of  the  diversity  in  their beliefs,  ways  and  religion.