letter to editor on national integration

Debate on the topic "HEALTH AND MEDICINE'

HEY I AM NOT PROVIDING U THE LETTER BUT THE CONTENT WHICH YOU CAN WRITE IN THE LETTER .You can cut-short by your own wish he nation’s integration is the need of the hour. It is not something, that can be brought only by politicians and governments. If ‘The 2020 India’ in the dream of our scientist- president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is to be realized, surely, the men of letters, the educationalists and the teachers will have to play a major role in it. Perhaps India is the only country that spent long centuries, disintegrated, under Muslim rulers. They were just invaders. Followed by them came the British. They too ingeniously succeeded to bring rift between every two princely states. Even then for the first time, the British could govern India from one center and different regions- from north to south and from east to west- received orders from one central power. They could do so because unlike Muslims in north, they were a part of imperial power. They had political intensions besides trade. This so called unity achieved by British in India was only physical. The integration of a nation is achieved only if an emotional unity is attained. This is possible, only when the majority of the total population is loyal to the nation. Their regional and private loyalty towards their sect, caste, religion, community and private interests should be given a subsidiary importance when the loyalty towards the nation is to be regarded. This will be the true national integration, against which, no force can withstand. How will it be made possible? Who should play a major role to direct the public interest? Here comes the role, that men of letters must play in. The muses and writings, of ‘Rishis’, who lived in ancientIndia has enlightened many, for ages and ages. The works like Upanishads and the works of Panini, the earliest linguist have engendered a kind of loyalty, born out of obligation to the tradition of the nation, at least among the scholars. The order of conduct, drawn by such people, has led many to lead a life of austerity and patriotism. Such austere individuals have become men of letters and have contributed much to the national integration. Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore etc are just some examples. Today also, the men of letters can easily come into the political array and can cleanse the totally rotten political scenario. Like wise, they can oust the opportunists who are holding some key positions. This will be a great way of help to boost the spirit of many who sincerely attempt to strengthen the national integration. The emotional integration that was inculcated by the men of letters of the time of Independence struggle is being faded very fast. The major reason for this is the very less effort done to maintain this loyal feeling. The history, that is being taught in schools, has somewhere failed to promote the spirit of nationalism. Here the men of letters, especially the teachers of universities, colleges and school have a lot to do. What, many wars waged with sharp sword could do, can easily be done by a small poem from a blunt pen. The history has proved that the powerful literature has brought more bloodless revolutions than the changes that are brought by blood bathing wars. Indeed, ‘pen is mightier than the sword.’ That is the power of literature by men of letters. The French revolution was fueled by the powerful writings of Rousseau. The great Ashoka and Akbar the great- the propagators of new religions- accepted the service of men of letters to promote, not only the religion of non-violence but also national integration. These men were sheer scholars. The social uprisings of 1930s in India were led by the timely literature produced by the visionaries. A time, when modern forms of mass media were not available, when the public addressing system was not supported by amplified voices, the handouts and manuscripts were doing the great work of fueling the national integration of nation against a common enemy. Even the British authorities were a bit frightened about the writings and speeches of those men of letters. Today India is standing on the threshold of the title “the developed”. If 2020’s India is to become as the one in the in the vision of people who declared it, the intellectual should play a major role. If the pre-independent India was under the political domination of British, today’s India is under the threat of economical domination. The globalization has helped to grow consumerism in India, whereas, India should take care, not to slip into the hands of multinationals. If it happened so, it will hurt the national integration. Intellectuals need not to raise any slogan to boycott all the foreign goods, as Gandhiji did during the freedom struggle. But, indeed they should bring in a ‘Swadeshi Spirit’. The mass should be enabled to recognize the hidden ‘foreign trade-interests’ or monopoly in the market, if any. There are many intellectuals, who have announced that politics is a taboo for them. That is not fair. It is a kind of escapism. If they have their political will, they might prove more influential. Their call for integration might be accepted by the people more intensely. Their writings will be reinforcement of emotional unity. Indeed, the coming generation will commemorate them, with a feeling of obligation, as the shapers of the future.