Communal harmony imperative for progress

The Republic of India, a heterogeneous mixture of racial, lingual and social groups is held together by the basic thread of unity. This unity in diversity is the backbone of national development. Britishers ruled India with their “divide and rule” policy. The country was able to attain freedom only after the people rose above considerations like caste, religion and language. Communal riots, regional violence and ethnic animosity disturb social peace and act as hurdles in the way of progress. Let us take a few examples of communal disturbances like the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.What was the atmosphere like? There was fear, panic, tension and violence everywhere. It posed a serious threat to our national unity, social cohesion and democratic ethos. The attention of the government is always focused on controlling the situation and regaining normalcy. Under such circumstances, can we think of progress? Certainly not.Do you know that for the peaceful conduct of elections in one of the states, the government had to spend `300 crore? Why? Because people are divided on the basis of caste and community. These crores would have helped in building bridges and roads in the state. This is one of the major reasons why some states are most backward in our country.In the most progressive, powerful and developed nations in the world, the society is not divided on the basis of caste, religion and other such mundane issues. You will find people of every religion and region contributing in a positive way towards the development of the country. In India, though, we keep fighting for a variety of reasons. So it is very evident that progress cannot be visualized without peace and harmony, rather it is a pre-condition for human progress.Rachana Chadalavada is a IX standard student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Picket