UNITY IN DIVERSITY: A MIRROR IMAGE

सरहद पर मरने वाला हर वीर था हिन्दुस्तानी !! As the nation commemorates its 75th year of Independence these significantly impactful lines from the iconic patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon shows how puny, pathetic and petty our diversity is for , at the end of the day we are all Indians . The feeling of oneness reigns supreme listening to these emphatic words . United we stand , Divided we fall is the essence of our national ethos ! Our innumerable differences as per states , provinces , language food habits , customs ,rituals , religion , belief systems and even culture then become meaningless . India has always been hugely proud of its slogan Unity in Diversity ....and true to the spirit of the slogan whenever there has been the need we have all put up a united front setting aside all our differences and diverse cultures , right from the Mutiny of 1857 to the Freedom Struggle , the various wars in the past and in recent times , for instance the strategic Kargil war . The young war heroes, the true patriots , belonging to various battalions, brigades, regiments , different castes, religion, states are all emblematic of bravery and valour as their sole mission is to uphold the country's integrity and welfare for which they are ready to lay down their lives and offer that supreme sacrifice for their nation. Their families , near and dear ones suffer irreparable losses and voids which can never be filled . Their only solace is that their sons, husband's, fathers, brothers , uncles have become martyrs ! Nation Comes First is what is drilled into every Defence personnel's mind and psyche ! They believe in live by chance , love by choice and kill by profession! Disparity is not in their dictionary .A big salute to them and to their unflinching zeal and their undying spirit !! Nevertheless shall we always need dire issues that threaten to jeopardise the safety and security of the country, to remain undivided and in Unity ?? Yes , we are a large country ....India is the 7th largest country in the world . With 29 states , 7 Union territories, 22 major languages , 6 major religions , and 1.39 billion population we are indeed a large country.... but undoubtedly need to be large- hearted too .It is ironic that when Diversity has been and shall always be the nation's fundamental characteristic there is an ongoing debate in the political corridors and among the higher echelons to delete the words ' secular ' and 'socialist ' from the Preamble of the Constitution !! Our diversity unfortunately has become our weakness as intolerance has led to conflicts , in-fighting , riots , homicide etc. It is not a pleasant observation and the statistics are terrifying . What is worse is that nefarious politics and wily politicians for their vested interests have and continue to exploit , incite and encash this Diversity with ever increasing intolerance leading to dastardly acts of savagery and inhumanity. Till when will the countrymen be subjected to the vile intentions and provocations of a select few . Our land is so beautiful and bountiful .....the snow-clad mountains , the flowing sinuous rivers ,the meandering lakes ,the rippling natural fountains, the majestic flaura and fauna that dot the country from North to South , East to West is mesmerising and incredibly amazing . The well- defined seasons , the plentiful agricultural produce and yield , the rich mineral resources are all manifestations of The Almighty's glory and His countless blessings . Instead of celebrating this bounty that should generate joy and pride , we are only projecting the most despicable side of our dispositions which is resulting in weakening our Unity in Diversity. Let us not allow the sacrifices of our brethren to go waste . There has to be some redemption from this sordid state of affairs. The most powerful shloka from the fourth chapter of Srimad Bhagwat Geeta comes to mind which kindles hope and is a Ray of light to dispel the darkness that has enveloped this wonderful country. यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य , ग्लानिॅभवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधमॅस्य तदात्मनाम सृजाम्यहाम्।। May our Saviour appear and restore our good sense , bonhomie and humanity !