Panelist @ National Integrity & Unity: Eloquence Club, IIMA

On the auspicious occasion of our great Iron Man - Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel's 139th birth anniversary, being commemorated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day

As part of a 3 member panel, moderated by Aditya, we touched upon the following w.r.t. National Integrity & Unity

Panelists:                    

Anurag Singal (PGPX)

Prathamesh Chaudhari (PGP2)

Ratnendu Ray (PGP1)

Themes that were explored during the discussion:

• Given the diversity and heterogeneity of India, is India really united?
• What can we learn from our past about India’s unity and diversity?
• Are politicians dividing the country for their political gains?
• Is reservation one of the root causes for groupism in India?
• What are the safeguards which keep the country united?
• What sort of policy measure and action is necessary for protecting the unity and integrity of India?

Outcome of discussion

We had a healthy discussion to try and understand the current social, political and economic scenario prevalent in India, the factors that led to divide in the society on lines of caste, creed, religion and economic status

Multiple ways where India was yet to evolve into a nation from the multiple caste, creed, race, religion etc. after Shri Patel had unified the princely states.

Bollywood, cricket, education acting as national unifiers.

Inequality of wealth distribution leading to a divide between India and Bharat and how Maoists leveraged that to their advantage

Reservation policy failing to reach its desired objective. Need for recalibration?

Need to focus on value education in school rather than just material success

The disconnect of North East from the rest of the country

Trying to enlarge the size of the nation's cake rather than focussing on your share