Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

unity in diversity, freedom of religions, secularism, equality, justice - social, economic
and political, and fraternity among all communities”. The National Integration
Council reiterates its faith in these values and dedicates itself to their
achievement”. It is these very goals, dear members, that we set for outselves as
a nation, and which the National Integration Council is expected to further and
promote and these are values which have come under stress.
This is a time that therefore, calls upon each one of us to collectively
reassert our identity as a pluralistic, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multilinguistic
country; whose Constitution respects and upholds the freedom of all
religions. We must thwart all efforts to create divisiveness in our polity to
further sectarian interests. If we do not do this, we would be failing in our duty
towards the toiling masses of our country who struggle every day for economic
betterment and a life of dignity. We would also be failing in our duty to build an
India that provides our children the opportunities to realize their dreams.
As people engaged in public life, all of us are aware that there are multiple
deprivations in our country that can be manipulated, perhaps cynically manipulated,
to promote divisions in our society.Our task of nation building is still work-inprogress.
Our energies ought to be singularly focused in ensuring that the
commitment we made at the time of our independence “to remove poverty,
disease, ignorance and the inequality of opportunity” is fully met for all our
people. We are at a point in history where the world is looking at India as a
country which is successfully transforming its economy in the context of a
functional working democracy. Our economic transformation is all the more
exciting because it is happening through political dialogue engendered in a
democracy, where contending views clash and reconcile. The process of economic
development itself has a way of creating winners and losers, and it is only a
democratic framework that ensures equalizing opportunities and justice for all
sides. Our government has sought to create a framework of inclusive development
that can structurally address the divides in our society. We have also sought to
address the root causes of left extremism resulting from alienation of tribal
communities through the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and also sought to ensure a right to
work through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The fast rate of economic development that we are witnessing would in
itself become an antidote to several forces of sectarianism that we are
witnessing today when inequalities of economic opportunities become the
fodder for divisive politics. At the same time, determined efforts have to be
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