National integration means combining all the people of the nation into a single entity, both politically and culturally. India is a vast country. Since the ancient times people belonging to different races, languages, religions, casts, creeds and communities and cultural groups are living here in harmony. Despite all the apparent diversities, there is a strong bond that enables us to live together peacefully identifying ourselves as Indians. It is this feeling of oneness that constitutes the very basis of our national integration.

Historically the whole Indian subcontinent had seldom been under the rule of one single ruler. It had to suffer indignities and humiliations at the hands of the foreign aggressors because of this disunity. The Rajputs, the Jats, the Marathas and the Sikhs were all brave people, but they could not unite themselves and therefore, were conquered by the foreign aggressors. Although India did not have much of political unity, she always had cultural and emotional unity.

But, it was only during the British regime that Indian for the first time was united politically and was treated as geographical unity. But the foreign rulers followed the policy of divide and rule. Although they united India geographically, they created disunity among the people belonging to different communities and provinces and induced separatism. Their aim was to weaken the nationalist force and smoothly rule over the country.

In spite of the cultural unity which India possessed in the past, there is no doubt that it was never so united politically as it is today. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kutch to Arunachal Pradesh, India has become one politically and geographically. But we find that though today India is a free country, from time to time there have been separatist forces raising their ugly heads and trying to destroy the unity of the country. Political freedom has brought in its wake new forces of fanaticism which threaten to destroy the high concept of one country and one people. Loyalty to cast and community is given priority over devotion to motherland. Linguistic fanaticism and chauvinism raise their ugly heads every now and then. Economic disparity breeds regionalism and mistrust. Regionalism and parochialism thus take precedence over national consideration.

The forces of disintegration have already gathered strength. The crying need of the hour is national integration. The National Integration Council should be more effective in reviewing all matters pertaining to this question and act accordingly. People all over the country must feel that only strong and united India can bring happiness to us all.