​the youth of different states should be given a chance to meet one another through national meets or other programmes write an article in about 100-120 words on the topic youth and national integration

India is a vast country. Indian society is divided into a number of castes and sub-castes. Different languages are spoken in different parts of the country. Every region has its own regional or local language. Moreover, India is the home of people following different religions – Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsees, Janis, Buddhist etc. the problem of national integration means how to unite these different people into a single whole. How to foster national unity among them is the most serious problem facing India today. A glance at the history of India tells us that internal quarrels have been her worst enemy. Separatist tendencies have always resulted in her fall. It was always divided into a large number of small states at daggers drawn with each other. National consciousness has always been lacking. This has ever the problem of national integration been her greatest weakness. That is why she was conquered by one foreign invader after another. The use of the common language, English and the introduction of swift means of communication, did much to bring the people of India closer together, but still, after fifty years of independence, casteism, communalism, provincialism and linguistic quarrels are the most serious threats to the freedom and the security of our beloved motherland. A Punjabi thinks himself to be a Punjabi first and an Indian afterwards. Regional loyalties take precedence over the national. Communal riots are a daily occurrence. Linguistic quarrels threaten to break up the country into parts. If the evil is not crushed in time, it is likely to break up the country into as many states as the languages spoken by the people. Thus, national integration is the crying need of the hour. Every effort should be made to create emotional integration, and a sense of unity. Publicity through every known medium is essential. This process of educating the public opinion should being early in life. Through schools and colleges, the young men should be thought that the whole of India is one. Indian culture is basically one and the differences are only superficial. The very mentality of the young should change. Text books should be suitably revised. Oneness of the people, rather than the differences, should be emphasized. Long distance tours, from the part of the country to another, would go a long way towards fostering emotional integration among the youth of the country. Steps should be taken to ensure that no communal or caste considerations influence the appointment of teachers. The words, `Muslim’, ‘Hindu’, ‘Khatri’, ‘Brahmin’, etc., should be dropped from the names of educational institutions. It has been said that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”. India should ever be vigilant against the dangers of casteism, communalism, etc., if it wants to retain its hard won freedom. The nation must stand united to face the combined menace of enemies. In this connection it may be mentioned that a strong centre is essential for national integration. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a close friend of India, this need has become still more important.