Factors that undermine India’s unity
Despite so much diversity and unity, there are still many aspects that might create a ripple in Indian society. Certain factors lead to feelings of difference and hostility amongst the people of India, which come in the way of India’s unity. The factors that undermine India’s unity are:
- Regionalism occurs when the interests of a certain region or region are favored over those of the nation. This may have a negative effect on national integration as regional demands may lead to problems in the law and order situation.
- Polarizing politics: Politicians, in order to garner votes, support, and attention from time to time, occasionally invoke ascriptive identities like caste, religion, etc. Creating violence and feelings of mistrust and suspicion amongst minorities is part of polarizing politics.
- Unbalanced development: If a region is backward, it brings uneven socio-economic growth. This results in poor economic policies, which create economic inequities. Due to this, there may be violent activities that ignite or even fuel separatist demands. Numerous examples of secessionist demands and tendencies have emerged as a result of the North-East’s economic underdevelopment.
- Ethnic diversity and nativism: Ethnic diversity from time to time results in conflicts between various ethnic groups due to several reasons, like a lack of employment opportunities, a lack of resources, and threats to identity. Example: Bodos and Muslim-speaking Bengalis frequently fight in Assam. The son of the soil idea, which links people to their birthplace and bestows upon them certain advantages, privileges, duties, and obligations that may not be applicable to others, serves to emphasize this.
- Geographic isolation: Isolation results in separatist thinking and problems of identity. Geographically, the North-East is separated from the rest of India by a small passageway known as the Siliguri corridor, which is called the “Chicken’s Neck.” This area is less developed economically than the rest of the nation, and it also has poor infrastructure. Because of this, various incidents of separatist and cross-border terrorism happen.
- Inter-religious disputes not only create rifts between two communities by sowing seeds of distrust and fear, but they also damage the nation’s secular fabric.
- Conflicts between states may cause feelings of regionalism to intensify. This further impacts interstate commerce and communication. For example, the Karnataka-Tamil Cauvery River dispute.
- External influences, such as foreign organizations, terrorist organizations, and extremist groups, can occasionally spread violence and foster feelings of secession. For instance, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is alleged to have supported and trained mujahideens to fight in Jammu and Kashmir, which incites separatist sentiment amongst the local groups.
Diversity in India
Diversity in India: The word “diversity” refers to distinctions that separate one group of individuals from another. These differences can take several forms: biological, religious, linguistic, or anything else. Diversity means the presence of a variety of races, religions, languages, castes, and cultures. India, as a country, is known worldwide for its rich cultural diversity and wide variety of social groupings and cultures. Despite certain differences that may be created due to diversity, the binding factor behind India’s growth and existence is its unity in diversity, which serves as a model of inspiration for the world to follow. Read below to learn more about Unity in Diversity of India: Various Facts of Diversity in India.
Table of Content
- Diversity in India
- Various manifestations of diversity in India
- Factors Promoting unity in India’s diversity
- Factors that undermine India’s unity
- The prevalence of unity and diversity contributing to India’s existence
- Balance between unity and diversity in India
Contact Us