British ruled India with the divide and rule policy as that suited them. Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs lived like brothers before the British came to India. The British planted the seed of separatism on the basis of language, religion and caste which resulted often in suspicion and clashes.
India was able to drive away the British but the seeds of discord shown by them still raise their ugly head every now and then. They managed to change the psyche of Indians to such an extent that even today people belonging to different religions are struggling to be one up on the other.
Today the task before Indians is to unite again. Political leaders have been harping on the need for national integration time and again. India has been declared a secular state in which all religions are equal in law and an Indian can follow any faith that he wishes.
India is a country with myriad languages, cultures and religions. However, if we remain united we can overcome any aggression from any quarter. The motto: – “united we stand, divided we fell” faces the problems of communalism, regionalism, multilinguism, etc. Very few Indians think of themselves as Indians first and Hindus, Muslims or Christians later. This attitude has to be discouraged.
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The political leaders today have continued the policy of the British and to secure success in the elections they win over by dubious means the society to their own advantage. They spread hatred between various communities and then support one of them as if they have become their messiahs.
Communal riots have become a common feature today. The countries bordering India also use this to-their advantage. They support the members of any one community and try to influence them to create trouble in India. They supply arms and train some innocent Indians in terrorist activities. They are using them for their own motives. They cannot see India strong and prosperous. They feel threatened and want to break us by encouraging separatist consciousness.
We as Indians need to overcome differences of caste, creed, religion, language and always remember that we are Indians first and last and we must be proud of our identity as Indians and not as people belonging to a particular community in India.