UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Unity in diversity is a phrase celebrating co-operation between different groups of people in a single society.It is widely used to describe India, which is home to a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious society. The subcontinent's long and diverse history has given it a unique culture. India's 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 backgrounds came together to oppose them. India's freedom movement had thousands of people of different backgrounds in it. They worked together to decide joint actions, they went to jail together, and they found different ways to oppose the British. Interestingly the British thought they could divide Indians because they were so different, and then continue to rule them. But the people showed how they could be different and yet be united in their battle against the British.

Today, after 62 years of independence the same Indians fight to divide their own states, whether it is forTelengana or Gorkhaland. Quite an irony! The agitation has even baffled the Government of India. Not to forget that the year 2000 was significant in Indian History. It is the year when the states like Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand were formed taking the number of states in India to 28. Quite a big number, huh! But just one question. Is it really helping us in any way? There can be a debate regarding this and whichever side you take, you can have some strong points to defend. For instance, there’s no doubt that maintaining the law and order in Darjeeling from Kolkata is not so easy.(It is not at all easy for the government to look after North Bengal when they themselves are fighting for existence in South Bengal at present.) So, the people of Darjeeling do have their point to lead their life in their own way. But not to forget that these same Indians fought against the British to get rid of them. They fought as Indians only, not as a Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil or a Marathi. And it is only because of them that today we are independent.

Can we forget the 26/11 episode in India? And unfortunately we don’t talk much of the NSG Black Cats who saved so our country from a crisis. Rather we engage ourselves talking more on some comedians like Shiv Senas, MNS etc. They want only Marathis in Mumbai, right? Then, where were they when their own Aamchi Mumbai was in smoke of fire (or fear?). The NSG was established under the National Security Guard Act of 1986.It is a Special Response Unit in India that has primarily been utilized for counter-terrorism activities and was created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of the Indian Parliament in 1986. And needless to say that no specific culture or race is leading NSG. It is headed by those Indians who removed the foreign elements from our country and not those Indians who want their states to be fragmented to tiny pieces. But isn’t it too suicidal? Doesn’t it make our very own India quite weak to other countries? India is a vast land which is bound together by the inter-cultural forces. That’s where we can use the phrase UNITY IN DIVERSITY. But making Telenganas or Gorkhalands won’t really solve the problem. Tomorrow, there may be agitations regarding the formations of Telengana-I or Telengana-II. Then, what’s going to happen? Isn’t it a threat for our existence( or, rather the existence of the phrase “Unity In Diversity”) ?