Unity in Diversity: Fratricidal issues in India

Abstract

Abstract — Diversity and pluralism that exists in the Indian society is unknown to any other part of the world. Issues that arise due to intersections of pluralism, religion and nationalism have always been one of debate and contest. Discontent, dissent and opposition are integral ingredients of a flourishing democracy. Lately, any opposition to the ruling dispensations, not just in India but in many parts of the world is misinterpreted as being unpatriotic and anti-national. While mature democracies handle it with pragmatic tolerance, totalitarian states crush them with ruthless suppression. While unity in diversity with the presence of all major religions of the world, seem to have worked for India, it is the emergence of ethnic identity politics and fratricidal conflicts that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia and conflicts based on ethnic nationalism. The creation of Slovenia, Croatia, the wars in Bosnia and the disintegration of Yugoslavia into various new states presaged the global spread of identity politics. India continues to be in the transitionary phase. It has witnessed streaks of authoritarianism in the past, populism and jingoism of strangely high levels as witnessed in the recent times. While the country has been witnessing these developments over some time, the focus now is on the working of the Constitution. Does constitutional morality have any significance? In its absence, no matter how well the constitution is written, its operation becomes unpredictable, subjective and at times whimsical. This article delves into the fratricidal issues that exists in the country, communal riots, anti- Hindi movement, insurgency in Punjab, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, issues in Assam and North East, Citizenship Bill to name a few and explores the delicate thread of unity that we as a nation are woven into.