As we all know, India had been under the British rule for almost 90 years.

Why do you
think this happened? How come the land of such brave kings like Shivaji and Ashoka got
annexed by the Britishers so easily?

Disunity is a very old evil. The history of India presents a very poor record of national
integration. Even at the time of national crisis the whole country could not pull together
and the result was defeat the subjugation. The Rajputs, the Jats, the Marathas and the
Sikhs all were brave people beyond doubt, but they could not sit together. They fought
separately and were defeated one-by-one.

Now, the invasion sure cost us a lot but, it was through this invasion that the first attempt
towards national integration was made. The English education, dress and habits brought
down the some extent the cultural difference. Indians for the first time began to feel a
kind of bond among themselves. Another bond which bounded the people was the
subjugation under the British. The bond became very prominent towards the closing year
of the British rule in India. Indians at the time were fired with the spirit of nationality.
The national leaders coming from different states were so much fused that they forgot all
the petty differences of caste, creed and language that divided them.

But as soon the British left India, trivial issues began to raise their ugly heads. Every state
turned to itself and tried to look to the interest of its own. New slogans were raised and
the spirit of fellow feeling and co-operation was substituted by forces that began to play
and interplay. The result was that within a very short time after independence the
different regions began to show off their supremacy over others. Furthermore, new states,
based on language, wanted recognition like Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.

Though today India is a free country, yet that spirit of unity appears to have evaporated
which had made people think that they are one family and one nation. The crying need of
the hour is national integration for a developing country like India. We Indians cannot
afford to be parochial, narrow-minded, provincial and communal because we have a great
mission to accomplish. Keeping our feet firmly on the ground, we should bring about the
integration of the Indian people. Political integration has already taken place, but
emotional integration is a must for national integration. Political freedom has brought in
its wake new forces of fanaticism which threaten to destroy the noble concept of one
country and one people. Attachment to caste and community is given priority over
devotion to the motherland. Regionalism is raising its ugly head.

There are several obstacles in the way of national integration of our country. The most
formidable obstacles are linguism, communalism and regionalism. India is a multi-lingual
country. The language controversy started with Hindi being given the place of official
language of India. In South India people revolted against this and demanded secession
from India. The constitution has been amended to meet the demand of these people. In
the Indian Union the states have been organized on the linguistic basis. The question of
language is a sensitive one. People get very easily provoked over this issue. The linguistic
fanaticism has got to be fought with love, understanding and accommodation.
Communalism is another obstacle. There have been communal riots in the country before
and even after the partition. This is a poison deeply rooted in our polity. India cannot
succeed in forging any unity, if communalism continues. Casteism is an offshoot of
communalism which is equally dangerous to national integration. Another fissiparous
tendency is regionalism. Aggressive regionalism has gravely undermined the feeling that
the whole of India is the home land of her inhabitants. Regionalism creates parochial
outlook and narrow mindedness.

It is beyond doubt that the threats of disintegration are staring us in the face. If we Indian
keep on remaining disunited in the name of religion, community or language, the country
will go to dogs. If we do not sink petty differences our freedom is in peril. Divisions on
the basis of language or community will have serious repercussions. We must realize that
we have the strong bond of same cultural heritage and must not let ourselves fall apart
and disintegrate. We must show to the world that a country with as old a tradition as ours
can holds back personal differences for the sake of higher interest of the country.
Toleration, co-operation and feeling of brotherhood should guide us in maintaining the
national unity of our country.

The need for national integration was never as great as it is today. The main obstacles to
national integration are communalism, racialism, regionalism linguism, Casteism, etc. All
these evils must be removed if India is to remain united. Students in schools and colleges
should be made aware of the need national and emotional integration of the country.
Powerful media like radio and television should devise programmes highlighting the
paramount need of promoting national integration. These programmes should exhort
people to give up their communal and sectarian outlook. They should consider
themselves as Indians first and Indians last.

The problems, if any, faced by minorities in India should be studied in depth and
effective steps be taken to ensure not only social but also economic justice to them. Only
then will they feel part and parcel of the country’s mainstream. Law and order should be
maintained at all costs. Whichever community starts a communal riot, the culprits should
be brought to book immediately.

Let us echo what Pandit Nehru said, "There is no division between North and South, East
and West of India. There is only one India of which all us are inheritors, it belongs to all
of us."