Society GS Paper I (unity of diversity) By Smriti Rao

Model Answer

Question #1. Justify the statement, "India is a tower of veritable languages" using illustrations.

Approach

•   Introduce the language and India’s multi lingualism. ( 40 words)
•   Mention in detail about India’s linguistic diversity. ( 100 words)
•   Mention the threat to the diversity( 70 words)
•   Conclusion ( 40 words)

Hints:

Language is the most vital tool for flourishing the culture. India has become a land of many tongues and has been called “as a tower of veritable languages'' or a “Museum of languages”. India’s multiculturalism is preserved through multilingualism. India is a big country and it packs in an astonishing array of languages. Over 1600 languages were thought to be spoken in the subcontinent and it’s unlikely that any other country in the world matches India for linguistic diversity.

India’s linguistic diversity

• While Hindi is the official language of the central government in India, with English as a provisional official sub-language, individual state legislatures can adopt any regional language as the official language of that state.
• The most comprehensive data on languages was collected at the time of 1961 census of India. According to these census figures there were 187 languages spoken by different sections of our society. Out of these, as many as 94 languages are spoken by less than 10,000 persons each and 23 languages together account for 77 percent of the total population of the country.
• Out of these numerous languages, 22 are recognized as national languages of the country   as they are included in the eighth schedule of the constitution. These languages are: Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Urdu, Konkani, Sindhi, Tamil, Telegu, Manipuri, Nepali, Punjabi and Gujarati, Maithili, Bodo, Dogri, Santhali. Hindi is the official language of India and it is understood by the largest number of people in the country.
• Other languages are recognized as ‘regional’ ones, meaning they are not widely spoken across the subcontinent but have a regional base, and often a moderate-sized population of speakers. Examples include Rajasthani, Bhili, and Tulu.

Threat to the diversity

• Linguistic diversity of India has been misappropriated by regional political parties which lead to issues of increased regionalism and parochialism, violence with linguistic minorities, demand for separate states and erosion of national feeling.
• Imposition of any language over this linguistic heritage will definitely destroy our cultural and historical melodies.
• Less widely spoken languages are generally called ‘minority languages’, some of them in fragile states of survival. India is losing languages faster than any other nation on earth, with up to 30% under real threat.

Conclusion

Languages are more than a medium of expressing ourselves. They carry cultural and historical accomplishments of a society with them. Although, there should be a language which people can understand across the length and width of the country, that acquaintance should be spread through knowledge and literacy. Linguistic diversity adds new shades of cultural richness in our social life and any attempt to destroy it will destroy that beauty of this part of the land.

Question #2. Reflect upon the snippets from India's rich cultural history and examine the postulate of 'Unity in diversity'. 

Approach

•   Write an introductory paragraph on the spirit of accommodation and assimilation features of Indian society. ( 50 words)
•   Explain how the tradition of Interdependence, accommodation and tolerance existed in the past and still present in the current times.  Explain with the help of examples. ( 170 words)
•   Conclusion ( 30 words)

Hints:

The spirit of love, tolerance, accommodation and interdependence of Indian society has led to acceptance of various kingdoms and dynasties which came here to rule and it led to assimilation of various cultures. Starting with humanity, people of India are thought of for their humanness. Tolerance played a big part in a traditional Indian society. One understands the different races, beliefs, and practices brought into their country and doesn’t step back and judge.

The spirit and tradition which was present in the past and still exist in the present is strengthening the cause of unity and diversity. Tradition of Interdependence, accommodation and tolerance can be seen in the past and in the present.

Examples of tolerance in the past

• Indo-Aryans came to India their language and culture spread into northwest India around 1500 BCE. They were accepted in Indian society, their culture got assimilated into our society and it is one of the pillars of our tradition.
• Rise of Buddhism and Jainism because of religious unrest in India in the 6th century B.C. Both were founded on the principle of tolerance, love, accommodation and interdependence. Both religions Buddhism and Jainism and one which was advocated by Vedic period existed side by side.
• Kingdoms like Greeks, Shakas, Hunas and Kushanas were accepted by the Indian society. They brought various cultures which got assimilated into our culture.
• Essence of both Bhakti and Sufi movements dissolved the separate religious identities to a great extent and provided a great contribution to India’s composite culture. It brought to fore the universal brotherhood, equality and oneness of God while rejecting castes, rituals, idol worship which promoted the tradition of accommodation and interdependence among various sections of society.
• Different regions of India contributed to promotion of literature and higher learning to the composite culture of India. For example Vedas were developed in Sapta-Sindhu regions, Upanishads in Magadha, Sangam literature in South are shining examples of accommodation of diverse literature in India.
• Though it is believed that India’s continuity as a civilization was social and cultural rather than political; yet the idea of bringing the entire country under one central authority has been the dream of great kings, sultans, emperors and rulers. This idea was put into practice by Chandragupta, Asoka, Harsha, Akbar and British rulers.
• Indian society in the medieval period accepted the rule of Sultanate and Mughals and their culture got assimilated in Indian society forever.
• The tradition of accommodation and interdependence can be seen during the reign of Akbar. Akbar propagated his ideas of tolerance through sulh-i-kul which promoted harmony between various religions. He and other rulers appointed Hindus as their highest military officers.

Even in the present times these traditions are intact

• The Cultural unity in diversity of India is generally denoted with the phrase “Ganga-Jamuni Tahjeeb” or India’s composite culture.
• India has multitude of religions including majority Hinduism and minority Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism. This diversity has many times kept the country united in difficult times. Religious unity is particularly visible when a war or a disaster happens. Time and again, India has stood united in crisis, and that is what religious unity in diversity of India is.
• This apart, we see everyday examples of religious harmony such as use of Ganapati Pandal as a makeshift mosque for Muslims and Hindus participating in Eid festivities, Sikhs building mosques for Muslims, Muslims kids robed as Krishna for Janmasthmi festivals and so on.
• Since Independence India has accepted streams of refugees like Tibetians, Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, Chakma and Hajong refugees which shows the tradition of accommodation.
• Tradition of Interdependence as an element of unity in diversity can be seen in rural areas and in joint family structures. One socio-economic activity is linked to the other which is beneficial for both.
• Acceptance of all people whether they are citizens or non-citizens at workplaces like Cinema, music industry etc. - all are accepted and working in harmony.

Conclusion:

Unity in diversity is an important feature of Indian society. Its core idea is “unity without uniformity” and “diversity without fragmentation”. It is based on the notion that diversity enriches human interaction. There are reports from various sources that there is a rise in religious intolerance. But except for a few incidents, the social fabric of Indian society remains strong.