Bonds of Unity in India

Unity means integration. It is a socio-psychological condition. It means a feeling of oneness, a feeling of we-ness. It represents the ties that unite the members of a society. There is a difference between unity and uniformity. Uniformity presupposes similarity, unity does not. Thus, unity may or may not be based on uniformity. Unity can be born from unity. Durkheim calls this kind of unity a mechanical solidarity. We find this type of unity in tribal societies and in traditional societies. However, unity can also be based on differences. It is such a unity that Durkheim describes as organic solidarity. This type of unity characterizes modern societies.

The first link of India's unity is found in its geopolitical integration. India is known for its geographical entity formed by the Himalayas in the north and the oceans on the other side. Politically, India is now a sovereign state. The same constitution and the same parliament govern all its parts. We share the same political culture, shaped by the norms of democracy, secularism and socialism. Although only recently recognized, India's geopolitical unity has always been visualized by our seers and leaders. Expressions of this awareness of India's geopolitical unity are found in the Rig Veda, Sanskrit literature, Edicts of Asoka, Buddhist monuments and various other sources. India's ideal of geopolitical unity is also reflected in the concepts of Bharatvarsha (the ancient native classical name of India), Chakravarti (emperor) and Ekchhatradhipatya (under one ruler).

Another source of India's unity lies in the so-called temple culture, which is reflected in the network of shrines and sacred places. From Badrinath and Kedarnath in the north to Rameshwaram in the south, Jagannath Puri in the east to Dwaraka in the west, religious shrines and holy rivers are scattered far and wide across the country. Closely related to them is the ancient culture of pilgrimage, which has always taken people to different parts of the country and fostered a sense of geocultural unity in them. Pilgrimage is not only an expression of religious feeling, but also an expression of love for the motherland, a kind of cult of the fatherland. It has played an important role in promoting interaction and cultural affinity among people living in different parts of India. Pilgrimages can therefore rightly be considered as a mechanism of geo-cultural unity.

Another proof of this lies in his apathy for conversion. Hinduism is not a religion that proselytizes for unity and diversity. That is, it does not seek converts. Nor has it normally resisted other religions in seeking converts within it. This quality of welcome and tolerance paved the way for the coexistence of different religions in India. Mechanisms for the coexistence of people of different beliefs have existed here for a long time. Take the case of Hindu-Muslim friendship, for example. Hindus and Muslims have always attended each other's functions, celebrations and festivals. How did you do that? They did this by devising the mechanism of providing each other with a separate hearth and set of vessels to respect each other's religious sensibilities. This always facilitated visits and the sharing of each other's joys and sorrows. They also did this by showing respect to each other's holy and holy men. Thus, both Hindus and Muslims mutually paid homage to saints and pirs. And this also applies to the coexistence of other religious groups such as Sikhs, Jains, Christians, etc.

We have had a remarkable tradition of interdependence that has kept us together through the ages. One manifestation of it is found in the form of the Jajmani system, i.e. a system of functional interdependence of castes. The term "jajman" generally refers to the patron or recipient of specialized services. Relationships have traditionally been between a family producing food and the families who supported it with goods and services. These were called jajmani relationships. Jajmani relationships were important in village life as they involved ritual affairs, social support as well as economic exchange. The entire local social order (people and their values) was involved in these jajmani relationships. A patron had Jajmani ties to members of a high caste (such as a Brahmin priest whom he needed for rituals). He also needed the services of specialists from the lower Jati to perform the necessary tasks such as washing dirty clothes, cutting hair, cleaning rooms and toilets, giving birth to the child, etc. Those bound in these interdependencies were expected and largely supportive of each other with qualities of willing assistance generally expected of relatives.