It is here that we note a significant fact of our national life on which people do not lay the emphasis that it deserves. And that is, whatever our differences in politics and in general approaches in other fields of activity — these differences being themselves an indication of the vitality, dynamism and ferment in the nation — the fundamental objective that is not only accepted, but taken for granted by all of us, is to keep this nation one and strong. In all my experience with different political, cultural and linguistic groups, I have never come across anyone who has questioned this fundamental objective. Therefore, we have a good foundation on which to build and would have only ourselves to blame if we fail to grasp the opportunity offered to us.
Communalism and regionalism perhaps provide an almost perfect antithesis to national integration and, therefore, in a manner of speaking, it appears to me that they became fit subjects for examination at the recent meeting of the National Integration Council at Srinagar.
There is cause for concern at the increase of tensions between Hindus and Muslims in the last 2+ years. It is not simply that a large number of incidents have taken place in 1966, 1967 and the first six months of 1968. States, which were formerly comparatively free from communal tension, like Mysore and Kerala have been affected. In 1967 communal tension also manifested itself in Jammu & Kashmir, a State noted for harmonious and peaceful relations between the two communities. There have been some serious disturbances, the one at Ranchi last year involving heavy loss of life, and others at Meerut, Allahabad, Karimganj and Nagpur resulting in a number of deaths.
There is the other problem — regionalism — whose potentiality for harm is also great. There have been jealousies and tensions over location of industries, employment and other economic opportunities, sharing of waters, boundary disputes and reorganisation of States. In a country of the size of India in which social, economic and industrial progress is not uniform in all parts, tensions over economic opportunities may arise. But they have to be checked and removed. The participants on either side of a debate affecting two regions may advocate a cause which they consider to be right but they should never lose the national perspective and their sense of proportion.