Faculty Of Law, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Sociology Assignment – GCT 1 –

B.A.LL.B. 2nd Semester

Topic :- “Unity in Diversity”

Made Under The Keen Supervision Of :-

Prof. Dr. M. Kalimullah

Submitted By :- Hammad Khan

Roll No. :- 19BALLB-127
Enrollment No. :- GL-6835
Section :- B
Session :- 2020-21
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT :-

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and special thanks towards my Sociology professor,
Dr. M. Kalimullah Sir, for giving me this golden opportunity to make this assignment on the
topic “Unity in Diversity” under his valuable guidance. This has helped me immensely in
knowing about things which I was not previously aware of and hence has boosted my knowledge
to a great extent regarding the particular subject. I would also like to mention my gratitude
towards my batchmates as well as my parents who helped me in completing this assignment
within the required period of time.
 SYNOPSIS :-

 Introduction
 Meaning and Definition of Unity in Diversity
 Different Forms of Diversity in India
 Factors leading to Unity in Diversity in India
 Factors that threaten India’s Unity
 Conclusion
 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION :-

We have heard a lot about unity and diversity in India. But very few people know and understand
the actual meaning of the two terms, diversity and unity. There are many forms of diversity in
Indian society. The four main forms of diversity are race, language, religion and caste. Similarly,
there are many bonds of unity in India. These are geopolitical, the culture of pilgrimage, tradition
of accommodation, and tradition of interdependence. The unity of India is born of a composite
culture rather than a uniform culture.
 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY :-

India is a plural society both in letter and spirit. It is rightly characterized by its unity and
diversity. A grand synthesis of cultures, religions and languages of the people belonging to
different castes and communities has upheld its unity and cohesiveness despite multiple foreign
invasions.
National unity and integrity have been maintained even through sharp economic and social
inequalities have obstructed the emergence of egalitarian social relations. It is this synthesis
which has made India a unique mosque of cultures. Thus, India present seemingly multicultural
situation within in the framework of a single integrated cultural whole.
The term ‘diversity’ emphasizes differences rather than inequalities. It means collective
differences, that is, differences which mark off one group of people from another. These
differences may be of any sort: biological, religious, linguistic etc. Thus, diversity means variety
of races, of religions, of languages, of castes and of cultures.
Unity means integration. It is a social psychological condition. It connotes a sense of one-ness, a
sense of we-ness. It stands for the bonds, which hold the members of a society together.
Unity in diversity essentially means “unity without uniformity” and “diversity without
fragmentation”. It is based on the notion that diversity enriches human interaction.
When we say that India is a nation of great cultural diversity, we mean that there are many
different types of social groups and communities living here. These are communities defined by
cultural markers such as language, religion, sect, race or caste.
 DIFFERENT FORMS OF DIVERSITY IN INDIA :-

The various forms of diversity in India are as follows :-

1. Religious Diversity :-

India is a land of multiple religions. Apart from the tribal societies, many of whom still
live in the pre-religious state of animism and magic, the Indian population consists of the
Hindus (82.41%), Muslims (11.6%), Christians (2.32%), Sikhs (1.99%), Buddhists
(0.77%) and Jains (0.41%). The Hindus themselves are divided into several sects such as
Vaishnavas, Shaivates, Shaktas, Smartas etc. Similarly, the Muslims are divided into
sects such as Shias, Sunnis, Ahmadiyas etc.

2. Linguistic Diversity :-

Languages spoken in India belong to several language families, the major ones being the
Indo-Aryan languages spoken by 75% of Indians and the Dravidian languages spoken by
20% of Indians. Other languages belong to the Austroasiatic, Sino- Tibetan, Tai-Kadai,
and a few other minor language families and isolates. India has the world’s second
highest number of languages, after Papua New Guinea.

3. Racial Diversity :-

1931 census classified India’s racial diversity in the following groups- The Negrito, The
Proto-Australoid, The Mongoloid, The Mediterranean, The Western Brachycephals and
the Nordic. Representatives of all the three major races of the world, namely Caucasoid,
Mongoloid, and Negroid, are found in the country.

4. Caste Diversity :-

India is a country of castes. The term caste has been used to refer to both varna as well as
jati. Varna is the four-fold division of society according to functional differentiation.
Thus, the four varnas include Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras and an
outcaste group. Whereas Jati refers to a hereditary endogamous status group practicing a
specific traditional occupation.. There are more than 3000 jatis and there is no one all
India system of ranking them in order and status. The jati system is not static and there is
mobility in the system, through which jatis have changed their position over years. This
system of upward mobility has been termed as “Sanskritization” by M. N. Srinivas.
 5. Cultural Diversity :-

Cultural patterns reflect regional variations. Because of population diversity, there is

immense variety in Indian culture as it is a blend of various cultures. Different religion,
castes, regions follow their own tradition and culture. Thus, there is variation in art,
architecture, dance forms, theatre forms, music etc.

6. Geographical Diversity :-

Spanning across an area of 3.28 million square kilometre, India is a vast country with
great diversity of physical features like dry deserts, evergreen forests, lofty mountains,
perennial and non-perennial river systems, long coasts and fertile plains.

In addition to the above described major forms of diversity, India also has diversity of many
other types like that of settlement patterns – tribal, rural, urban; marriage and kinship patterns
along religious and regional lines and so on.
 FACTORS LEADING TO UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN INDIA :-

1. Constitutional Identity :-

The entire country is governed by one single Constitution. Even, most of the states follow
a generalized scheme of 3-tier government structure, thus imparting uniformity in
national governance framework. Further, the Constitution guarantees certain fundamental
rights to all citizens regardless of their age, gender, class, caste, religion, etc.

2. Religious Co-Existence :-

Religion tolerance is the unique feature of religions in India due to which multiple
religions co-exist in India. Freedom of religion and religious practice is guaranteed by the
Constitution itself. Moreover, there is no state religion and all religions are given equal
preference by the state.

3. Inter-State Mobility :-

The Constitution guarantees freedom to move throughout the territory of India under
Article 19 (1) (d), thus promoting a sense of unity and brotherhood among the masses.
Other factors such as uniform pattern of law, penal code, and administrative works (eg.
All India services) too lead to uniformity in the criminal justice system, policy
implementation etc.

4. Economic Integration :-

The Constitution of India secures the freedom of Trade, Commerce and Intercourse
within the Territory of India under Article 301. Further, the Goods and Service Tax(GST)
have paved way for ‘one country, one tax, one national market’, thus facilitating unity
among different regions.

5. Institution of Pilgrimage and Religious Practices :-

In India, religion and spirituality have great significance. From Badrinath and Kedarnath
in the north to Rameshwaram in the south, Jagannath Puri in the east to Dwaraka in the
west the religious shrines and holy rivers are spread throughout the length and breadth of
the country. Closely related to them is the age-old culture of pilgrimage, which has
always moved people to various parts of the country and fostered in them a sense of geo-
cultural unity.
6. Fairs and Festivals :-

They also act as integrating factors as people from all parts of the country celebrate them
as per their own local customs. Eg. Diwali is celebrated throughout by Hindus in the
country; similarly Id and Christmas are celebrated by Muslims and Christians,
respectively. Celebration of inter-religious festivals is also seen in India.

7. Climatic Integration via Monsoon :-

The flora and fauna in the entire Indian subcontinent, agricultural practices, life of
people, including their festivities revolve around the monsoon season in India.

8. Sports and Cinema :-

These are followed by millions in the country, thus, acting as a binding force across the
length and breadth of India.
 FACTORS THAT THREATEN INDIA’S UNITY :-

1. Regionalism :-

Regionalism tends to highlight interests of a particular region/regions over national

interests. It can also adversely impact national integration. Law and order situation is
hampered due to regional demands and ensuing agitation.

2. Divisive Politics :-

Sometimes, ascriptive identities such as caste, religion etc. are evoked by politicians in
order to garner votes. This type of divisive politics can result in violence, feeling of
mistrust and suspicion among minorities.

3. Development Imbalance :-

Uneven pattern of socio-economic development, inadequate economic policies and

consequent economic disparities can lead to backwardness of a region. Consequently, this
can result in violence, kick start waves of migration and even accelerate demands of
separatism.. For instance, due to economic backwardness of the North East region,
several instances of separatist demands and secessionist tendencies have sprung up in the
region.

4. Ethnic Differentiation and Nativism :-

Ethnic differentiation has often led to clashes between different ethnic groups especially
due to factors such as job competition, limited resources, threat to identity etc. E.g.
frequent clashes between Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam. This has been
accentuated by son of the soil doctrine, which ties people to their place of birth and
confers some benefits, rights, roles and responsibilities on them, which may not apply to
others.

5. Geographical Isolation :-

Geographical isolation too can lead to identity issues and separatist demands. The North-
East is geographically isolated from the rest of the country as it is connected with the rest
of the country by a narrow corridor i.e. the Siliguri corridor . The region has inadequate
infrastructure, is more backward economically as compared to the rest of the country. As
a result, it has witnessed several instances of separatism and cross-border terrorism,
among others.
 6. Inter-Religious Conflicts :-

Inter-religious conflicts not only hamper relations between two communities by

spreading fear and mistrust but also hinder the secular fabric of the country.

7. Inter-state conflicts: This can lead emergence of feelings related to regionalism. It can
also affect trade and communications between conflicting states. For instance, Cauvery
river dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Sometimes external factors such as foreign organizations terrorist groups, extremist groups can
incite violence and sow feelings of separatism. E.g. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been
accused of supporting and training mujahideen to fight in Jammu and Kashmir and sow
separatist tendencies among resident groups.
In-spite of the challenges posed by diversity, there can be no doubt on the role played by
sociocultural diversity in sustaining and developing Indian society. Problem is not of diversity
per se, but the handling of diversity in India society. The problems of regionalism,
communalism, ethnic conflicts etc. have arisen because the fruits of development haven’t been
distributed equally or the cultures of some groups haven’t been accorded due recognition.
 CONCLUSION :-

Diversity refers to i) patterned differences between groups, ii) socio-cultural variety, and iii) lack
of uniformity. Unity means integration that may or may not be based on uniformity, a sense of
oneness arising from the bonds that hold the members together or that bind the diverse groups
with one another. Underlying all the diversities there is a remarkable measure of unity. There are
four mechanisms of integration: constitution, pilgrimage, provision of a separate hearth, cook
and kitchenware for members of other religious community, and jajmani.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY :-

Books :-

 C. N. Shankar Rao, Principles of Sociology (S. Chand, New Delhi, 7 th Edition, 2019)

Other Sources :-

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_in_diversity