India is a land of mind boggling diversity and a living example of unity in diversity. It is a lesson for the world how different nationalities and races can co-exist on this earth. Our country has always been a melting pot of extremes, paradoxes, cultures, sub-cultures, religions, ways of living, languages, customs and traditions. This variety and diversity runs through the entire fabric of the nation. The spirit of unity that binds all the diversities is really amazing and awe inspiring. The sheer vastness and complexity is breathtaking. The level of tolerance and the spirit of co-existence is incredible. It is a true democracy and not a dictatorship where unity can be forced on the people at gun point. Our oneness grows out of our hearts.
2004 General Elections threw up an incredible scenario. In a land of 85% Hindus, a Muslim President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam gave an oath of office to a Sikh Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh belonging to Congress party headed by a Roman Catholic, Sonia Gandhi while a Hindu Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India witnessed the ceremony. That was the most symbolic scene of the unity in diversity of India which can not be imagined anywhere else in the world.
And India is not a small population. With more than one billion people it represents the one sixth of the mankind. The variety of colours, dresses, foods, religions, sects, deities, landscapes, regions, climates, languages, races, faces, sizes, shapes, life styles, cultures etc. is fantastic. For the past five thousand years it has been the meeting point of different cultures, religions, races and civilisations. This diversity has survived the invasions, conversion, subversions, transfusions and passed the test of time. India is an ambience that inspires modernity and tradition, urban and rural, local and alien, religious and secular, variety and uniformity, hatred and love embrace each other to counter balance. It is unmatched and unprecedented except in itself. Its spirit of unity defies the analysts.
The ancient culture and values of India have been the unifying forces. The diversity of ways of living here makes a complex but wonderful tapestry. In harmony live here Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Paris and a number of sect and sub-sect members. The country is secular by law but deeply religious in spirit. The Constitution of India embodies the same ancient spirit. It allows each of its citizens to follow or preach any religion or faith as long as it does not interfere with the faith or religion of others. The diversity, flexibility and dynamism has helped India survive through the times as one nation against all odds. The tolerance runs like a golden thread through the whole colourful fabric of India.
The hallmark of Indian civilisation has been the tolerance and respect for all faiths and religions. The spirit of tolerance is the bedrock of the foundation of the edifice of India’s unity in diversity. A vast majority of the Indian’s believe in ancient philosophy or soul theory. The theory holds God to be Soul Supreme that runs through every creature as individual soul. It is just like space that extends to infinity on one hand and on the other, extends into us through sky, our surroundings, houses, rooms and our inner spaces of the body. So, this majority sees everything linked into one spirit and that spirit is the unity in diversity of India. The tolerance is outer expression of that spirit. It is the tolerance power of native Indians, that enabled them to assimilate alien religions, cultural thoughts, philosophies and everything good about then yet retaining their own noble qualities. Many other civilisations lacked this power and as a result perished or became hot beds of terrorism and counter-terrorisms.
The new born mindset of intolerance is today causing all the problems of India. It has spawned the communalism, casteism, parochialism, terrorism and bigotism. The only blot on India tolerance is inbuilt intolerance based on casteism and gender bias. It would be a tragic revelation in we find out at some point of time that our tolerance was merely a compensation for internal intolerance. It will be proved if some day India disintegrates and it all comes out. Pray that day never comes. Foreign forces have always tried to destabilize our country by undermining our communal harmony, secularism and tolerance of diversity. We must be aware of our responsibilities and duties as worthy heir to our great culture and ancient-land. The fanatics, bigots, communalists and terrorists must not be allowed to destroy our integrity and unity of diversity.
The factors that strengthen our unity must be zealously guarded. The pluralistic democracy, our fairs and festivals, cultural values, emotional uniformity, pride of common legacy, spiritual affinity and spirit of co-existence are our strong points which hold together our diversity.
