Integrate. Do not Disintegrate.

‘Integrate. Do not Disintegrate’

By

J.L. Gupta

The Americans, though migrants from different parts of the world, are just Americans. No one says that he is a European, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Nor does he call himself an Alaskan, a Californian or a New Yorker. Not one of them describes himself as a Christian, Jew or a Muslim. All are proud Americans only. The Europeans have formed the European Union and have introduced a common currency. The Germans have broken the Berlin wall. The world is breaking barriers. But we, in India, seem to be creating new ones.

In our country, every Indian is an individual. He is an Andhraite or Assamese, a Bengali, Bihari, Haryanvi, Himachali, Kashmiri, Maharashtrian, Malyali, Punjabi or a Tamilian. He is a Christian, Hindu, Jain, Muslim or a Sikh. He is an Aiyer or Aiyanger, a Bania or a Brahman, a Jat or a Jatt, a Reddy or a Rao. The list can be never ending. And each one is interested in the preservation of his distinct identity, culture and language. It is becoming difficult to find an Indian in India. Diversity has always been a stark reality. But today the nation’s unity is being threatened.

Our leaders of yester years were patriots. They had fought and won freedom.  They had worked for integration of the smaller states into the Union. The leaders of today have and  are dividing the states. They sow the seeds and then exploit the divisive propensities of the people. Just to perpetuate and preserve their own positions. To secure their small fiefdoms. For petty personal gains. And any excuse is good enough. Caste. Language. Religion. Sons of soil. Or any other. Then, they go on fast unto death. Arouse public sympathy and exploit the sentiment. Apprehending disruption of law and order, the government yields. Sometimes too readily. Is it appropriate?

Sacrificing life for national unity is understandable. It may be patriotic. But dying to force division should be totally unacceptable. Rewarding those who threaten to die for the disintegration of the state is a sacrilege. The fast is an attempt to commit suicide and must be treated as a pure and simple criminal offence. Nothing more.

Today, reorganisation of states has become a regular ritual. The parliamentary pundits perform it periodically without any delay or demur. The result is that not only India but even the Indian Union has grown numerically. While the population has gone beyond a billion and we are doing little about it, the number of states has already reached 28. And we all know the implications. Each new State means a new Governor, a new Chief Minister and ministers. And then, the cascading effect on the bureaucracy. The taxpayer alone has to bear the additional burden of the cars, kothis and salaries for all of them.  

We, as people, must realise that creation of each State only means more expense. It does not help the common man. It does not lead to more opportunities for education and employment. It does not help the needy. It serves only the greedy. The funds are largely exhausted in providing for the perks.  Almost nothing remains that may possibly percolate to the poor. The state then borrows from almost everywhere. And the people are doomed to leave behind the next generation under debt.

India is a rich country. It is rich in resources. We have fertile land. Flora and fauna. Mountains and mines. Perennial rivers. And more than a billion pair of hands. These assets are enough to take a nation to the top of the world. Japan, Korea and China are examples for us to emulate. After facing an atomic holocaust and with virtually no resources of its own, the Japanese have reached the pinnacle of economic growth. They have the capacity to face crises. A great sense of self respect. They work hard. In comparison, despite resources, we are poor. A majority of our people do not get two square meals a day. They do not have a roof over their heads. The children do not get admission in the schools. The sick cannot get a bed in hospital. The water is not potable. We have poverty in the midst of such plenty. It stares us in the face. We can no longer afford to look the other way. Our leaders do not hesitate to go around with a beggar’s bowl. Should it not hurt our sense of national pride?                                                         

Today, we really need to wage a war against illiteracy, poverty and unemployment. We have to work hard and fight against the ills of corruption, inefficiency and red tape. We must realise that every Indian deserves a dignified existence. We need hospitals and houses. Schools with adequate infrastructure. Institutions to impart vocational training to our young men so that they are able to earn their livelihood. The state must ensure certain minimum work and wage for the millions of unemployed youth. Only then the ‘right to life’ guaranteed as a fundamental right in the Constitution can become a reality.

To the masses, it does not matter whether the minister wears a blue, green or white turban. Nor are the people concerned with the colour of a politician’s cap. The common man is worried about two square meals a day. He needs a shelter to protect himself against the vagaries of weather. A bed in hospital for the sick. A seat in the school for his child. Potable water to drink. Our energies must be focussed on providing the basic necessities to the teeming and toiling masses of India. We should not be spending our time and resources on dividing the states into non-viable units of administration.

As we enter the year 2014, let us resolve to unite. Not to divide states. Integration and not disintegration should be the sole slogan.