A population of 1.33 billion, an area of 3,287,263 square kilometers, over 1700 major and minor languages, multiple of religious denominations, multitude of cultures and climatic divisions make the unity of India a challenging task. Sovereignty of such a country of gargantuan dimensions is directly dependent on the unity. If the unity is missing or is faulty the sovereignty gets impacted adversely.
Hence, anything that aids in building unity in India is worth employing, adopting, practicing, inventing and implementing. Whether that is Sardar Valabhbhai’s Statue, Mahatama Gandhi’s Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Governance or Narendra Modi’s Demonetization. Whether that is doctrines of Hinduism or teachings of Islam, practices of Garu Nanak Ji or preaching of Buddha. Everything that aids in giving strength to the unity in India should readily be practiced in India.
Conversely, anything that hurts unity and creates disunity should be scorned and given up. Yes, anything or any person who is hurting unity of such a big country need to be shunned and shunted to save and secure her sovereignty from all threats. Again if it is Sardar Valabhbhai’s Statue, Mahatama Gandhi’s Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Governance or Narendra Modi’s demonetization, or for that matter Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, in case they are hurting the unity they must be abandoned. Similarly, if some religious doctrines are affecting the unity negatively, those doctrines and practices should be banned.
One of the first decisions that the current National Democratic Alliance Government announced after coming to power was the building of Statue of Sardar Valabhbhai’s Patel as the Statue of Unity. The Statue has been completed with a whopping cost of 3000 crores. Here it is reiterated that if the statue anyway contributes in enhancing unity of the country the money spent is worth it but is unity really getting supplemented by it or the story is something else.
At the outset with the announcement of building the Statue of Unity the opposition to the decision was born at the same very instant. The opposition was united in opposing and denouncing the decision as politically motivated. According to the opposition instead of helping to maintain and sustain the unity of the country, the statue is intended to help the Bhartiya Janta Party. Naturally, when the ruling party and the opposition are divided over a decision of the government, it divides the entire country, some supporting the decision and the others opposing.
Unity, as such, becomes a casualty rather than a beneficiary of such a decision. According to the critics of this decision, choosing Sardar Vahalbhai over Mahatama Gandhi, Jawaharlal and others is actually a divisionally tactic rather than that of the uniting one. The money spent accordingly is a wastage which could have been used to cure some of the chronic ills like poverty, hunger and homelessness. These ills have remained unattended, or only little improvement has been made, since the time of India’s independence.
The ills are threats that the unity of the country face and if they are left unattended for some more time the unity may suffer a hard beating. This somewhere the incumbent leadership of the country is overlooking. Even the laymen of the country can clearly see that the farmers are getting restless with their plight and by the neglect that government shows towards their problems. The castes are getting arranged in new groups and the same is the case with rest of the people who bore the hardships imposed on them by the successive governments of the country, they are not ready to bear exploitation and discriminations anymore. The leadership either deliberately overlooks these facts or else tries to find fortunes for itself in the disunity of the country.
Viewed by the India’s perspective Sardar Valabhbhai Patel has done a commendable work for the integrity of the country. Bringing the British India and over 560 princely under a single government is really a herculean task which Sardar Patel has accomplished untiringly. His only fault, I think, was that he brought about the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir without following the provisions of the international law and that is why this issue is perpetually a threat to the unity of the country which the leaders of the country deliberately overlook.
His was an integrating task which he performed sincerely. It is the responsibility of the government and citizens of India to keep the integrated units, and the people, united. The best tribute towards Sardar Patel therefore is to keep India united and don’t let the disintegrating seeds to take roots and grow. In case unity is compromised and Statue of Unity is being built it is not a tribute but a disservice which the soul of Sardar Patel would be the first to scorn. His words are apt to find out how much he valued unity when he said, “By common endeavor we can raise the country to a new greatness, while a lack of unity will expose us to fresh calamities”
India is a republic; she has a thoroughly written constitution. In this constitution every aspect has been covered which could keep the country united and integrated. It is only the deviation from the constitutional scheme which creates threats to the country’s unity and integrity. The decision like building the Statue of Unity instead of curing the acute and chronic problems of the country is the example of that deviation.
Such decisions if they ware at all necessary, should have been taken after thorough deliberations and taking all the opposition and the country in confidence. But, no such home work was done. That is why when the Statue of Unity is completed it again has divided the country, at least in the opinions of the people. At times it takes no time in turning opinions to actions which the rulers of the country might be well aware of. The unity of the country cannot be allowed to be fiddled with, whosoever does that.
Now, the Statue of Unity has been build. The money has been already spent; opposition at this juncture is not fruitful and wise to do. The government cannot go back to the history and undo the decision and the implementation of the decision. The right approach for the government to do is to lay proper emphasis on governance of the country. Poverty, hunger, homelessness and the poor human development indices have haunt the country for too long, and continue to do so. And, in respect of the Kashmir dispute the Indian political parties and the government should consider the larger interests of the country and try to resolve this dispute to the satisfaction of all the concerned parties and people. The government should try to address these problems in all earnestness. Building Statue of Unity is only a sign and not the work of creating and maintaining unity.
As far as the opposition is concerned it should try to act constructively. If the ruling party is at fault by trying to mould public opinion in its favor by hook or crook, the opposition is also not without blame. The opposition in India is also acting to manipulate the public opinion in its favor by its policies and in respect of Kashmir dispute the story is no different. A constructive opposition can go a long way in improving the standards of governance in India, or any other country, but unfortunately the role of opposition in this country has always remained underperforming and partial.
If both the government and the opposition fail to mend their ways and act in their predicted ways building of the Statue of Unity is really wastage but if they realize their faults and work for the better governance of the country, it would be the great service towards the country and the people of the country. The Statue of Unity could be made a sign of that service.
It is the existence and unity of the country that could give, and is giving, power to these rulers and the opposition. Threats to the unity of the country are threats to the posts and positions and power that they hold or are craving to hold. One wonders why these people are hell bent to divide the country and disrupt the unity!
The author can be reached at fayaz.greatstep@gmail
