Unity in Diversity in India

Today, we see a world trembling with violence, anger, and discord. We see, look, and feel anxiety and tension everywhere. Grou keeps giving a constant feeling of apprehension and rivalry. There is one country that despite being in the heart of these problems showcases a constant perception of oneness. That country is India. India truly understands that the creator of the entire universe is one and never loses sight of our inherent unity.

Bharatvarshaor India – the name of this country portrays the emphasis on unity. India may not be geographically united but from time immemorial it has been considered one country. It is more beautiful, generous, diverse, and welcoming than one can ever imagine or feel while just reading or watching videos. Without experiencing it with your own eyes, you can never understand the reasons for this land to be so united in its diverse ways. You have to live this experience. There are many factors on which the unity in diversity of India is based:

History: Home to people of all religions, India has been primarily a land of Hindus invaded by Muslim kings and ruled by Britishers. Even after undergoing multiple religious riots and religious tensions, India, deep inside, is a land where people from different religions share a bond that goes back centuries.

Religious Tolerance: Guarantee by the constitution of India, each religion here has got equal freedom. People here are free to practice any religion of their choice. You can see Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians to use those greetings in each other's language. Hindus can greet by saying 'SalaamWaleikum' and Muslims can greet by saying 'Namaste'. It's a land where multiple festivals are celebrated like Eid, Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Gurupurab, and many others.

Non-Violence: Consider the life story of Mahatma Gandhi and you will realize the glorifying non-violence which is one of the bedrock principles of India. He was the biggest preacher of non-violence and every school taught children about him on every nook and corner.

Rivers: Rivers are largely responsible for giving a sense of unity in the country. Some rivers are considered sacred and are worshipped by Indians like the river Ganga. Pilgrims from across the globe visit various holy places situated on the banks of the rivers. Yamuna and Saraswati are also worshipped here, so in spite of geographical diversity, India has enjoyed a typical unity.

Linguistic Unity: Prakrit was one single language in the 3rdcentury B.C. Which was considered sufficient for bringing messages of a royal missionary to the doors of his humblest subject? After this, Sanskrit has become the most common language of the masses. Many languages owe their origin to Sanskrit like Hindi, Gujarati, and Tamil. With the coming of Britishers, English became the lingua franca after Sanskrit. Vedas, Puranas, DharmaSastras, and Upanishads were written in Sanskrit and are considered a commondespite treasure by the people all over the country.

Political Unity: The unity of India in the political vertical has been one of the greatest goals which are cherished by most Indian rulers. Divided into many small principalities, the powerful rulers were always keen to bring all the regions of India under their control. There were many rulers in ancient times like Chandra Gupta Maurya, Ashoka, and Samundra Gupta who carved out all Indian Empires. These great leaders provide a similar system of administration, uniform laws, and customs.

With a total land of 33 million square kilometers and a population exceeding 100 crores, India is a vast peninsula and is generally referred to as a sub-continent. It is a plural society with an amalgamation of diverse cultures, languages, religions, and races. Even though sharp economic and social inequalities have obstructed the emergence of equalitarian social relations, national unity and integrity have been maintained considerably. This synthesis has made India a unique mosaic of cultures.

Unity in Diversity of India teaches us many things one of which is that our differences do not need to keep us apart. People of India can be different but still, support each other, work together, and have common goals. It is a lesson that lovingly and more kindly helps us to live together in a loving and kinder way. Since ancient times, the powerful kings and rulers were inspired by one united India which is indivisible. We all celebrate together the National festivals even in modern times and times thein common and like Independence day, Republic day, Gandhi Jayanti, etc. Widely celebrated in all schools, colleges, and universities, these special days give us a sense of unity and togetherness. Every Indian sees the ceremony of flag hoisting at Red fort and listens to the Prime Minister spoke. A similar event takes place in every state which displays the oneness and indivisible character of India.

There are so many differences in the Hindu Muslim community in India in regards to their language, customs, rituals, and ideologies but still, they are living together peacefully and are inbrought up by the same motherland. They have deep respect for each other and celebrate each other's festivals with joy and happiness. They even influence each other through the ideals of oriental civilization.

In different regions of this large country India observes variations in climate. Different types of garments, languages, religions, cultures, customs, faiths, and festivals can be seen giving a feeling of unity and oneness among them. All these factors prove that India is a land of unity in diversity.

Unity in diversity is vital for any country:

National Integration: Any country needs to havegroups' unity in diversity because one can easily divide people having different views and ideas. If there is unity between people despite being different then it becomes difficult to disintegrate the nation. When there is unity among the citizens of the country there would be peace and prosperity in the nation.

Development and growth: For the growth of any country, unity in diversity has a very important role to play because when the country is united it will always move on the path of development. There would always be some internal issues when a country is socially weak and distributed on different terms.

Global recognition: A country that is diverse, like ours, but still, it is united, provides great value to the nation but is also appreciated on the international platforms. These countries set an example for other nations by highlighting the values ​​and morals of citizens who respect others and also, encourage them despite different backgrounds and cultures.

Peaceful co-existence: When there is diversity in the country it would be the reason for the origin of internal disputes, but when there is unity it would maintain peaceful co-existence with people having different cultures and backgrounds.

Difference Between Unity and Diversity

Unity shows the relationship between different parties that hold them together as one. One can argue that the lack of difference between people is supported by religious, linguistic unity, or racial aspects.

While diversity is something different it is defined as the collective differences of variousthat lovingly, religions, cultures, customs, faiths, etc. Diversity means different classes and groups living in several regions, with different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds.

Diversity brings different perspectives, experiences, and acceptance among people. Unity is a state of existence while diversity is a state of division or diversity. One family has people with different views, interests, or ideas expressing their differences in many respects, but as a family, they show unity among themselves.

 By: Preeti Narula