B. Shyam Sunder--National Integration and Problems of Minorities

7/31/2019 B. Shyam Sunder--National Integration and Problems of Minorities

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National Integration and Problems of Minorities

B. Shyam sunder birth centenary celebration at Bangalore

Efforts are being made in the name of emotional or National Integration to adopt

totalitarian techniques of indoctrination and brain washing for purposes of complete

assimilation and absorption of the minorities into what is called Hindu Nationalism,

or Indian Culture.This is a deliberate and well planned assault on the culture of

Muslims, Christians, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs and Parsees.

B.Shyam Sunder

Pub l ished by

H .Sh r eyesker President

Mool Bharati B.Shyam Sunder Memorial Society

B.Shyam Sunder Marg . Gulbarga 585105 (Karnataka State )

e-mail [email protected]


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National Integration and Problems of Minorities

B.Shyam Sunder

FORE WORD

Certain groups in our country-regional, religious and linguistic-have, of late, become restless, becausetheir long-standing grievances have remained un redressed, in-spite of representations during the last

14 years. Instead of arriving at an amicable settlement with them, the party in power, with the help oftheir comrades-in-arms, has started a counter-movement-in the name of National Integration-partly to

dull the edge of their protests by paining the complainants as rank dis-integrationists.

National Integration, according to the ruling clique, would mean giving whole-hearted support to it onits own terms i.e. on the basis of the status quo; which means that the grievances would remain as they

are. Such support would be extracted by giving the right kind of education to the young ones, byintensive propaganda within and outside the country, by the manipulation of votes and lastly, through

occasional terrorism, whenever necessary and where ever desirable. No effort would be made tounderstand the difficulties, the disabilities, the torture and the frustration experienced by the sufferers.Let us take the factors, hindering real National Integration, one by one, and analyze them briefly.

The Scheduled Castes and Tribes

This age-old problem continues to remains unsolved, in-spite of Constitutional safe guards, pious

resolutions and profuse lip sympathies. As Shri J. Siva Shanumugham Pillai, member, Union PublicService Commission and former Chairman of the Madras Legislative Assembly, in the course of a

note circulated at the Delhi Conference on National Integration in September, 1961, said:

Mere legislation will not remove untouchability and bring in unity.There should be a change of heart among the people.

The deep-rooted and wide-spread feeling among the Scheduled Castes, that they ate looked down upon

and discriminated against, persists because nothing concrete has been done to erase it from theirminds. Their poverty and ignorance are exploited by Caste Hindus for their own political purposes.

Their group entity, as the biggest minority in India, is not recognized. Their peculiar problems are justignored in the day-to-day administration, whether at the village level or at the Taluka and Districts

levels. Orders passed by the Central and State Governments are not implemented but just publicized inorder to hood wink the foreign press and would opinion. If anyone among the Scheduled Castes

happens to rise by dint of his merit, intrigues and party maneuvers are set up to pull him down. In the

choice of candidates for election purposes, preference is given to those who serve the interests of thedominant Caste more than the interests of the Scheduled Castes. Can there be real National Integrationwhen twelve crore human beings feel that they are nobodies by themselves, but exist only as tools and

agents of the high-Caste Hindus?

Their history has been deliberately consigned to the limbo of oblivion, so that they may continue tofeel small and lowly. Those who have read Dr.Gustav Opperts The Original Inhabitants of

Bharatvarsha will admit if they are not prejudiced, that what are now known as the Scheduled Castes


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and Tribes were, before the advent of the Aryans, rulers of this land and defenders of its economic andcultural wealth. They had an extensive overseas trade and a merchant navy of their own. But all this

has been willfully suppressed.

Interests of Minorities Flouted

Efforts are being made in the name of emotional or National Integration to adopt totalitariantechniques of indoctrination and brain washing for purposes of complete assimilation and absorption

of the minorities into what is called Hindu Nationalism, or Indian Culture. This is a deliberate andwell planned assault on the culture of Muslims, Christians, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs and Parsees. The

ultimate object seems to be to reduce these communities to the position of glorified automatons (withno soul and no will of their own) who know nothing about their past, their traditions, their religion or

culture. No heed is paid to their clamor that their representation on Parliament and legislatures isneither real nor adequate. In the economic and educational fields, they are at the mercy of the

communal majority. The urban populations may not have sensed the real danger yet but tours of therural areas will convince anybody that their future is dark.

Smt. Kulsum Sayani, well-known educationist, social worker and a tried nationalist, who has suffered

for the freedom of India, writing on National Integration, says: -

I have found among the religious minorities a feeling of insecurity and frustration. They say that their

children find it extremely difficult to get admission to Government Schools. They say that they are nottaken into the Armed Forces and the Civil Service of the country just because they belong to minority

communities. They say they feel that they have no future in the country and that they feel frustrated. We

have no right to expect loyalty and patriotism from people who feel that they are suffering from hunger,want and frustration purely on communal grounds.

Of all the factors delaying National Integration, this is the most serious. Yet, strangely enough, it is

being minimized and ignored and for this very reason, it is becoming more and more acute. If oneanalyses the grievances one by one, it will be seen that behind them all there is distrust of theminorities, tempered with the fear that they might demand, besides cultural autonomy and equal

educational facilities, their legitimate share in the political and economic spheres, The rulers haveshown by their conduct that they are instinctively guided by their old prejudices and lack a sense of

justice, equity and fair-play. Subtle discrimination and insidious coercion are practiced against theminorities so that they may not raise their head.

One begins to wonder why the majority community has so little confidence in itself and why does it

not allow the minorities fair opportunities to rise and contribute their mite to the progress and welfareof the nation. How long will Dr: Ambedkers definitions of Indian Nationalism remain true? This is

what he had said:

Unfortunately for the minorities in India, Indian nationalism has developed a new doctrine which may

be called the divine right of the majority to rule the minorities according to the wishes of the majority.Any claim for the sharing of power by the minority is called communalism while the monopolizing of the

whole power by the majority is called nationalism.

Reorganization of States:


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The creation of linguistic states has accentuated the danger for the linguistic minorities, Consolidation

of the Hindi-speaking areas of the North and Balkanization of non-Hindi areas of the south hasembittered the relations between the north and the south. A scholar and a patriot of the rank and status

of Dr: Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Chairman, West Bengal Legislative Council, in the course of a note on

National Integration, says:-

The Language States were a mistake from the point of view of a single and integrated though polyglotIndian Nation. Is it too late to rectify the mistake? A better plan would be start de-novo and divide India

into a number of Polyglot states, with equal chance for every language, even of the minorities, in each of

these new states.

But it looks as though Linguistic States have come to stay. Then what about Urdu which, by allstandards, is entitled to have a state and university for itself, but is not even recognized as a regional

language in the North?

Punjabi Suba:

Punjabi speaking people are clamoring for a state, because Hindi-speaking areas have been attached toEast Punjab in order that the Sikhs may not dominate the administration in view of their numbers. The

Sikhs very naturally resent this discrimination and distrust.

Nagaland:

This problem has become acute because of the violent reaction of the Nagas to the policy of armedoppression and suppression followed by the authorities against them. This policy is based on the

distrust of the Nagas in particular and of the Christian Missionaries in general.

Dravidastan:

The secession movement of the South owes its origin to the high and mighty attitude of the HindiImperialists of the North against the neglected South. Beneath this arrogance is the concealed distrust

of the Southerners and discrimination against them in the economic field.

In short, with the financial support of the capitalist class but flaunting the popular slogans ofnationalism, socialism and inter National peace, the party in power has monopolized all authority and

resources to the exclusion of those elements in National life which it wishes to suppress or which haveno nuisance value? If this is National Integration, is it not an open encouragement to fissiparous

tendencies and internal disorders?

26th

January, 1962Bidar,

Mysore State. B.Shyam Sunder


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National Integration and Problems of Minorites

B.SHYAM SUNDER

It is unfortunate that the 4000-word statement adopted by the National Integration Conference on

October 1, 1961 at New Delhi contains only one sentence-reluctant, cold and non-committal-purporting to deal with the major cause which had necessitated the holding of the conference.That sentence is:

The Conference took note of certain apprehensions and fears of some minority and the

need for taking steps to remove all legitimate grievances.

The Indian Press, both vernacular and English, either took no notice of it or found fault with theauthors for having included it in the statement. Some considered it un-necessary; others that it

was impolitic. This was because no thought whatsoever has so far been given by Governmentand the Press to the necessity of creating an atmosphere in the country congenial to the practice

of secularism: The Statesman (dated October 2), however, published the

Two important announcements were made by the Prime Minister about the immediateprogramme of work of the 37-member National Integration Council would evolve

machinery to examine and redress minority grievances.

On the other hand, the views of all India Hindu Mahasabhas and the Jana Sangh were not merelycirculated officially at the conference but their accredited representatives were even invited to

take part in the discussions. This fact lends weight to the suspicion that a subtle device wasadopted to side-track the real issues and to make the minorities feel that if they embarrass the

present ruling party by pressing their grievances, they might further antagonize the extremistsand invite deterrent punishment on themselves. It will be recalled here the doors of the

Conference were barred for representatives of minority organizations, as if they were aliens orenemies of their own motherland, or at least disinterested in the subject of National Integration.

The fact, however, is that every minority is intelligent are its only permanent safeguards in acountry like India. Minorities are also keenly aware that separatism is impractical, unwise and

harmful to their own interests.But they are made to feel separate by being discriminated against,and when they can no longer suppress their grievances, they are charge-sheeted for creating

fissiparous tendencies. This is done merely to over-awe them into silent submission. The sinnedagainst are accused if sinning and then denied admission into National assemblies and

conferences. The danger apprehended by Dr.C.D.Deshmukh in the following quotation from hisaddress to the seminar on National Integration held in April 1958 has come true in the case of all

minorities, which have dared to assert their rights:-

If some strongly entrenched group tries to fortify its own interests at the cost ofother groups and a complaint is made by the other groups being called communal

and Sectarian one.

Integration or assimilation?


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How perverted, outmoded and unrealistic are the views of the extremist section of the majoritycommunity on the subject of Integration may be seen from the following extracts taken from the

statements circulated by Shri Bhishan Chandra Seth, M. P., leader of the All India HinduMahasabhas, Shri A. B. Vajpayee, M. P., leader of the Jana Sangh, Shri K. M. Munshi and Shri

Mouli Chander Sharma, M. P., at the conference.

Sri Bhishan Chandra Seth, M. P.

1.Tirade against foreign missionaries:

Very few persons have realized the harmful nature of the activities of the foreignChristian missionaries, from the point of National Integration. Foreign Christian

Missionaries, particularly Roman Catholic Missionaries, are controlled by very powerfulagencies outside from Europe and in the Vatican. The Pope enjoys excessive rights and

very often interferes in the internal politics of the different countries of the world.Foreign Christian Missionaries were responsible for fomenting trouble in Nagaland and

even now they are behind Mr. Phizo, Foreign Christian Missionaries, with huge sums ofmoney, brought from outside the country have their corrupting influences on our National

solidarity. Proper checks must be provided against the activities of the foreign ChristianMissionaries for the purpose of National solidarity and integrity.

2. Minorities are not Nationals

Only such people in this country as have common bonds of race, religion, language,

tradition and history, can be taken to form the nation. When we talk of Integration, weshould be very clear in our minds that this Integration concerns the nationals of the

country basically, and the minorities, which cannot come within the purview of thedefinition of the word Nation must be asked to integrate themselves with the rest.

3. Muslims should merge themselves with Hindu Nationalism

We must take steps to bring about conditions whereby those elements in the body politic of this

country, like the Muslims, could merge themselves with the National life, which we call, HinduNationalism.

4. Sanskrit as lingua franca of India

To bring about National Integration, therefore, we must concentrate our energies to give to

Sanskrit its proper place, so that it may once again have its position as the language of cultureand higher science


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5. Law and order cannot protect Muslims

The only permanent guarantee of the protection of life and property of the Indian Muslims can bethe goodwill of the Hindus. Demands for reservation of proper share in the services and

legislatures or in the business, as made in the Muslim Convention, will only help to keep the

Muslim community separate from the National life of the country. Such declarations andintransigence of the Muslim community, if persisted in, cannot secure protection for themthrough the police or the Military or by Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code

amendments

Sri A.B. Vajpayee, M.P. (Jana Sangah)

1. Muslims have disowned their ancestors

Muslims have cut themselves away from all the customs, traditions, mores and manners,which bind the people here to this land itself. So much so, that they have refused to

accept Rama and Krishna as their ancestors and kept themselves aloof from thetraditional festivals.

2. Cow slaughter an obstacle to Integration:

Various laws have been framed to prevent cow-slaughter, but there is large-scale

infringement of these laws. This leads to embitterment of relations and anti-socialelements are able to exploit the situation. These laws must be strictly enforced. On the

other hand, indifference to National sentiment, Muslims should voluntarily abandon cow-Slaughter.

Sri K.M. Munshi

No Citizenship rights, if minorities assert themselves

Communalism is another unfortunate malady which has come to the fore in recent

months. The implications of a democratic system are that, while religious communitiesshould be free to organize themselves for social and religious purposes, any attempt on

their part to enter the field of politics through such organizations is fraught with gravedanger. All realists must see that this will only preclude the members of those

communities from the opportunity of being absorbed into the body politic as citizens of afree country.

Sri Mouli Chander Sharma, M.P.

The kind of education that will lead to National Integration:

An Indian, who is ignorant of the teachings of the Upanishads and the Gita, is certainly

deprived of the most precious heritage of his own fore-fathers. We should aim at everystudent having a fair knowledge of the beauty and joy that his country possesses. He


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should be aware and proud of his rich heritage from the Rig Veda the Upanishads, theRamayana and the Mahabharata down to Tulasi and Tagore and Gandhi. And this

awareness and pride should be equally instilled into all Indians, irrespective religion andCaste.

We are assured by the Link (October 8) that the statements quoted above are moderate. This iswhat is says:

The Prime Ministers presence as Chairman imposed discipline, Decorum and Restraint.The atmosphere of the conference persuaded persons with known Communal feelings

like K.M. Munshi and Spokesmen of communal parties such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee andthe Hindu Mahasabhas Bhishan Chand Seth into moderation.

If this is moderation, would not the suffering minorities prefer extremism (whatever it be)

forthwith? Slow death is definitely a more painful and trying process.

The Organiser, (October 9) representing the Jana Sangh was angry with the late Mr. Ajoy Goshfor having dared to put in a word for the Muslim minority. It said:-

The CPI General Secretary seemed less concerned with National Integration and more

with the possible reactions his speech would have on the Muslim voter. So much so thathe went to the extent of extenuating Muslim aloofness from the Indian Freedom

Movement of the basis of the plea that the movement was permeated with Hindu ideals.He carried on with reaffirming the Muslims Conferences lie-by now nailed completely at

all levels, officials and unofficial that Muslim as a community were being discriminatedagainst in appointments etc. The Muslims are the biggest single religious community

and it cannot be denied that in numerous subtle ways, discrimination continues to bepracticed against them, he said.

The views expressed and the attitude of mind displayed in the above extracts strike a deadly

blow at the very concept of National Integration, which can only be rescued by educating themajority community particularly some of its leaders before one can even dream of giving

secularism a chance in India. One wonders why the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting isso intriguingly silent, while willful attempts are being made to divide India, in contravention of

democratic principles, into two camps the rulers and the ruled.

A Silver Lining

Luckily, the prospects for the success of this educative campaign are not bleak. Here are somestatements from a few distinguished thinkers, which lend a silver lining to the cloud and auger

well for the minority

Smt. Indira Gandhi

1. I do believe that diversity of culture enriches a country. Also every individual has anumber of overlapping loyalties; family, school, language, religion and so on. Mans


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social instinct and the nature of society force them on him. We do not want all diversityto be smoothed out, nor do we want to crush these smaller to loyalties.

2. Economic progress, coupled with social Justice and equality of opportunity,

especially in education and employment. Is the most solid foundation for an integrated

and united society?

Dr. Tara Chand

1 Although our Constitution makers have prohibited all discrimination based on grounds

of religion, race and Caste and proclaimed in unequivocal terms the equality of all beforelaw, in our social practice, discriminations still continue.

2. The Indian State has to rest upon the basis of a pluralist society and must provide

instrumentalities and institutions for the smooth working of such a society.

3. It is necessary that in all great sectors of National life both Hindus and Muslims aswell as other communities should work side by side. They should all share in the burden

of administration at all levels so that they may feel the glow of pride in serving the Indianpeople and the Indian State.

Prof. Humayun Kabir

1. The enduring strength of the idea of Indian Unity is derived from, what may be called

in modern political parlance, the principles of federalism.

2. If we accept without any mental reservation the fact that India is and will remaindiverse, one of the main obstacles to the National and emotional Integration of the people

will be removed. Religious, Linguistic or regional groups at times seem to oppose suchIntegration but, if we carefully analyze their attitudes. We will find that what, they

oppose is not Integration but the loss of their identity.

3. It is easy for the majority to press its own point of view under the guise of nationaland dismiss the fears of the minority groups as parochial. One may certainly argue that

the larger National interests should always prevail over the interest of a section or group.Unfortunately, however, the majority has often a tendency of identifying National

interests with its own.

4 It has to be recognized that loyalty to the nation or the state does not andneed not mean the denial of feeling for ones own group of co mmunity.

Dr. Abdul Jaleel Fareedi, P.S.P. Leader of U.P.

1 India consists of many social groups and speaking variety of languages, havingdifferent customs, professing diverse religions and each one is proud of its own heritage


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and culture. All these heterogeneous groups constitute the basic units which togetherform the Indian Nation. If these units are permitted to function democratically, the Indian

Nation will be evolved automatically. But the gulf between these units will increase ifthere is even a suspicion of their being pulverized, converted, assimilated or absorbed by

the people of the Jan Sangh mentality.

2 Totalitarian countries break up the various groups by indoctrination, brainwashing andthen absorb and digest them. Such aggressive and extensive Nationalism is making the

various groups and sub groups and minorities in particular, suspicious of the veryobjective (NationalIntegration) which every one individually and collectively desires.

3. To bring together such diverse elements as exist in India, the National Integration

Committee will be well advised not to use the methods which were employed by theSampurnand Government in Uttar Pradesh. The text books prescribed during that

Regime were so objectionable that the Government themselves had to appoint the PaliwalCommittee to review them.

All the Governments of the World have recognized 4 Rights of minorities. The U.N.O. assures

us of safeguards. It is, however, significant with the treatment meted out to it by the majoritygroups has raised a voice for its rights, and it has always been Branded as disloyal, ridiculed and

made the target of acute discrimination and mistrust. It is therefore, the duty of the NationalIntegration Commission to first bring about a Change in the way of thinking of the majority

community and specially of the Intelligentsia and the high Caste among them.

Dr. K.M. Pannikar

Let us not forget in our enthusiasm for National Integration that India is notmerely a Federation of states but a federation of cultures, though these

cultures are based on social Groupings and not on states. While there isundoubtedly one dominant Hindu culture Extending all over India, let us not

forget there are other cultures equally entitled to our Respect. This is naturalin a plural society like India and to deny it is to invite disaster.

If the sentiments underlying the above extracts are actively shared both by the policy-makers as

well as the executive, the resultant improvement in the tone of public life would afford greatmental and physical relief to the tormented minorities. The need for educating the educated

class again seems indicated. The least that may now be expected of the National IntegrationCouncil is that it will give to these views a practical shape and implement them forthwith; if

necessary, by amending the Constitution.

Plea for action

It would be worthwhile taking note of the following Press comments on the outcome of the

Conference, which support the view that secularism, can flourish in India if those who profess italso act accordingly and canvass mass support for it.


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Mr. Frank Mores, in the course of a signed article (The Indian Express, October 2) feltconstrained to remark:

What respect can the people have for a party whose leaders, while daily

preaching National unity and emotional Integration, are themselves living

symbols of emotional dis-Integration and National disunity? To denouncecommunication and align yourselves with a communal part y as a matter ofpolitical convenience is not the best advertisements for nat ionalism. And how

can Casteism be eradicated when the co ngress party itself chooses electioncandidates on that basis?

Two days later, the same paper published a signed article by Shri D. R. Mankekar, a well-knownColumnist, in the course of which he observed:

The minorities, both linguistic and religious, perhaps constitute the greater single irritant

militating against the sentiment of togetherness. A high powered Human RightsCommission-which could even be a statutory body to protect minority interests and

attend to their grievances would perhaps be an appropriate institution for this purpose.Ours is a nation of minorities, and hence the need for us to be a composite and secular

state, which alone can ensure justice and a fair deal to the various sections of the people.It is of no avail for us to pretend that the minorities do not exist or to minimize their

problem. It is the duty of the majority not only to give a square deal to the minorities butbe seen to be so In a country of Indias size, population and diversity of creed and

culture, some kind of federalism is imperative.

Shri A. Raghavan of the Blitz, writing in its issue of October 7 said:

Compulsions of such a highly representative conference have been apparent for quitesome time. The communal riots in Jabalpur and the linguistic riots in Assam were

powerful portents of slow dis- Integration. Grievances of the religious and linguisticminorities have been accumulating. The existing Commissions for Scheduled Castes

and Tribes and for Linguistic Minorities were not able to achieve any measure of success.

Harijan, writing in Current of October, 14, said:

To Acharya J. B. Kripalani, with his salty tongue, belongs the distinction of havinguttered the truest words spoken at the National Integration Conference (New Delhi,

September 28-30). He described the meeting as a gathering of most of the principalsinners who are afraid of their sins of commission and omission. We cannot begin

usefully unless we fix the responsibility for the present situation; it should be squarelyfixed upon us who have assembled here, he said.

The conference, however, did not seem inclined to fix responsibilities; much less t

ake stern steps to meet the situation. It was content to indulge in vague generalities.


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When it comes to responsibilities, few probably can escape; but the Congress can evadeit least.

Caste has got on to the Congress, and like the Old man of the sea will not let go. But

judging by the pronouncements at the Integration Conference this point hardly seems to

have been realized. You cannot grow mangoes on a cactus bush. You cannot grow thefruit democracy out of the seed Caste. Caste must yield only Casteism.

Sins of omission and commission:

In the preceding paragraphs, the forces that secularism has to contend with in India have beenindicated. It has also been shown that the prospects for the success of secularism can be

brightened, if the issues are tackled in all seriousness. The difficulty, however, is that the secular-minded elements in the majority community have not shown the courage of their convictions by

implementing their cherished beliefs.

There is obvious hesitation in extending the principle of federalism to the social structure and toacknowledge the fact that the Indian Union rests on the basis of a pluralist society.

The majority communitys unfortunate tendency to identify National interest with its own is

either connived at or remains unchallenged even by its secular elements.

The natural feeling for ones own group or community is dubbed as communalism and regardedas felony. Ventilation of grievances by the minorities (on the score that they are discriminated

against) is threatened with dire consequences.

1. Just as freedom has no meaning if a person, supposed to be enjoying it, does not feelfree, so also security of life and property is incomplete is one does not also fee secure?

The former feeling is induced when, besides enjoying the usual human rights, one is alsofree from subtle and insidious coercive processes; the latter feeling is engendered when,

besides the usual protection guaranteed under all modern constitutions, there is absenceof anxiety and fear. How can we expect our leaders and administrators to bother if the

minorities alsofeel free and secure when they have not succeeded in guaranteeing to theminorities the security of their lives, leave alone lesser fundamental rights?

2. The question of representation of minorities in legislatures, which needs and deserves

fresh thinking, is just ignored. The position, as it obtains today, is undemocratic for thefollowing among the other seasons.

A .Even in areas where persons belonging minority groups happen to be in sufficient

numbers, their voters have been split up in the name of delimitation by being distributedin different contiguous constituencies to ensure that they cease to have a solid voice in

the concerned area.


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B. Voters of minority groups have been virtually disenfranchised as a result of single-member constituencies, their votes having a value only if cast in favor of a candidate put

up by organizations of the majority community but not otherwise.

C. When it is admitted that a bulk of the majority community in India is under the

influence of non-secular minded elements and that every majority has a natural tendencyto usurp (or at least disregard) minority rights and interests, it is obvious that theminorities cannot get real and adequate representation in the present set-up, unless

specific statutory provisions are made for the purpose. Dr. Harekrushnan Mehatab. in hisnote circulated at the Conference observed: But for the specific provision in the

constitution: the Scheduled Castes and Tribes would have the same fate as the Muslimsand other minorities.

As regards cultural freedom of the minorities, besides the views of our own thinkers such as Smt.

Indira Gandhi, Dr. Tara Chand, Prof. Humayun Kabir, Dr. K.M. Pannikar and Dr. A.J. Fareedireproduced above, let me also quote two more persons of inter National repute, who have studied

the question from all aspects.

Prof. Oscar I. Janowsky of the College of City of New York writes:

Where a considerable proportion of the citizens of a state speaks distinctive languages

and cherishes diverse historical memories or usage, National uniformity, (symbolized bya singly country-wide language and a single National culture) is unattainable except

through suppression or elimination of minorities. Such efforts inevitably engender strife,which in turn endangers the peace of the world. If oppression and conflict are to give

way to harmony and contentment, the way must be found to recognize culturaldifferences within the frame-work of political and economic unity. The rights of man

may be assured to a member of minority as an individual, but language and culture areessentially group factors, which depend upon common action for their preservation. No

less an authority than Georges Kaeckendbeek, President of Arbitral Tribunal of UpperSilesia, has reached the conclusion that it is not probable that under existing social,

political and economic conditions, minorities should prove capable of enduring, without aminimum of corporate structure and organization. This means that minorities should be

recognized as corporate entities and entrusted by the State with the autonomousmanagement of their educational and cultural affairs. The financing of the educational

and cultural undertakings of a minority should be the responsibility of the State.

Com. Stefan Osusky, former Czechoslovak Minister to Paris and Member of Czechoslovak

Government-in-exile observes:

The preservation of religious, linguistic and cultural liberty means not only that

individuals have a right to profess the religion of their choice speak the language of theirmothers and live according to the traditions and customs of their ancestors, it means the

practical possibility of associating together and administering their own particularaffairs.


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Mr. K.M. Munshi would even deny to the minorities the right of citizenship, if they speak about

their grievances or demand their rights. Shri Bhishan Chandra Seth is definite that the minoritiesdo not come within the purview of Indian nationals; their lives and properties are safe only if

they earn the goodwill of the majority community on terms, which he has indicated. While

Seths and Munshis are provocative, challenging and unabashed, Pundits and Shastris arejust wobbling and beating about the bush.

Minorities should be on the alert

It is, therefore, time that the minorities clarified their own position visa- vis the problem ofNational Integration and explained what exactly is coming in its way. Integration is a two-way

traffic. The majority community as well as the minorities should both work for it and towards it.Unless the minorities mustered enough courage to blurt out the real truth, the responsibility for

the deterioration would be placed squarely on their shoulders.

Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru and his colleagues voted in favor of India being a secular State entirelyfor the sake of the minorities against them on grounds of Caste or creed. Unfortunately for the

country, Panditjis expectation did not turn out to be correct. When the ruling class unleashed apolicy of ruthless discrimination against the minorities, the process of National Integration

received a major setback. The catalogue of minority grievances owes its bulk to this basic andblatant defect in the administration.

The Prime Minister was just trying to be an optimist when he declared at the opening session of

the National Integration Conference that there was nothing very alarming round the corner.Facts of the situation do not, however, seem to warrant this complacency. A French writer, Mr.

Riencourt, in his latest book on The India of Today, speaking of the Jan Sangh, says:-

It presents a nucleus with tremendous potential in Northern India it is the politicalexpression of Hinduisms enduring ethos It is likely to benefit directly from any major

political upheaval that would pulverize the present westernized structure of a unitedIndia. And, if there is to be any heir to it, in a great part of India, it will be some

expression of Hinduisms traditional outlook.

Students of history and sociology are only too well aware that Hinduisms traditional outlook isessentially exclusive, monopolistic and totalitarian, How ruthlessly it will jeopardize minority

rights and interests can more easily be imagined than described. The late Dr. Ambedkerswarning that bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and

Rajasthan should be split up into convenient administrative units, if India desires to continue as aunited country, assumes added significance in the light of Mr. Rein-courts gloomy prophecy.

Dr. C. D. Deshmukh also favors small unilingual units. Speaking on National Integration, hesaid. The basis for the unilingual state system could be convenience of administration and

maximum efficiency of the democratic form of Government. But it does not follow that therewas or there is need for one State covering one language.


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It is in the common interest both of the secular elements in the majority community as well as theminorities that a workable understanding should be reached between the two so that they might

both join hands to convert the school of thought represented by the Hindu Convention held in (October 1961) to the culture and tolerant way of honorable co-existence, which alone can lead to

whole-hearted National Integration a consummation devoutly to be wished, in order to

strengthen our defences and to infuse life into our Five Year Plans.

Ponder over what is said: bother not, who said it, says an old adage.

Indias noble mission of world peace would lose all its grace if its unquestioned benefitsof freedom from fear and freedom from want are denied to a considerable percentage of

its own population. Distrust of minorities or discrimination against them betrays lack offaith by the majority not only in its own strength but also in secular democracy itself.

Indias enviable prestige in the comity of nations will suffer an irreparable loss, ifsubmission to the tyranny of numbers is the price demanded of the minorities for the

protection of their life, property, culture and the honor of their woman hood.

The National Integration Council must step in boldly and rescue the minorities from theirmiserable plight. The minorities, on their part, must tell the elders of the nation clearly what

needs to be done for them and how? But they should harbour no ill-will or bitterness against themajority community, just because the ruling clique has not been treating them as it should have

done. Minorities have been victims of discrimination because prejudice against them has beenacute and long-standing. Prejudice and discrimination are the two sides of the same evil, is the

cause and latter the effect.

Causes of Discrimination

Mr. Arnold Rose, Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota, in a UNESCOpublication entitled: The Roots of Prejudice, says :

Perhaps the most obvious cause of prejudice is that it creates

advantages and material benefits for those who are prejudiced.

Discrimination has undoubtedly helped the majority community in India tomonopolize political power and eliminate competition from the economic field. It is

not commonly realized that discrimination in the latter field hurts the country morethan its victims, as the absence of fair competition lowers the standard of efficiency

and production. Members of the minority groups have been gradually ousted from

the economic and political fields their share having been added to that of the partyin power. This is true not merely of agriculture and landed property but ofindustries, commerce, Railways and PWD contracts transport licensee, permits for

import ad export various professions as well as the administration and membershipof legislature. Although the incidence of taxation has gone up considerably the

percentage of taxpayers among the minorities has gone down miserably whencompared with the year 1947. The rise in the number of properties, which changed

hands from the minority groups to the majority groups during the last decades, is


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index of their fast deckling economic position. The number of minority studentswho are forced to d iscontinue their studies even after having secured admission into

professional or Post-graduate colleges is also a measure of their growing indigenceand poverty.

Prejudice is nearly always accompanied by incorrect or ill-informed opinionregarding the people against whom it is felt. One of the requirements for ignoranceabout a group of people is social isolation, which can occur even when there is

considerable contact. People can live next door to each other as neighbors oneperson can even work in another house or shop, but still they will not necessarily

get to know each other as human beings. Both physical and social segregationusually accompany prejudice. They are among its effect but alas among its cause as

they promote ignorance and ignorance bolsters prejudice.

Minorities have been living in India for centuries yet they can not claim thatspeaking generally they have not been kept at an arms length

The third cause of prejudice is described by Mr. Arnold as a a kind of traditional

students of Indian History an sociology will appreciate how apt this description iswhen appalled to our elder brothers

Prejudice also satisfies a Psychological needed. Mr. Arnold Rose writes One of

the most important steps in understanding prejudice was taken when psychologistsdeveloped the frustration-aggression theory Students of human behavior have

shown that when people feel frustrated they become aggressive and look for scap-goats. In India the minorities are the scapegoats

Fears of imaginary dangers in an important part of prejudice one of the reason why prejudiced

people dislike minority group is that they imagine all kinds of fearful things about them writesMr.Arnold this may be one of the reason why the minority community misled by the false

propaganda of some of its leaders, holds a poor opinion about Indian minorities. Moreoverimaginary charges are trumpeted up against them, mostly to divert public attention from

Governments sins of omission and commission. If price are rising, unemployment is on theincrease incidents of taxation is shooting up, railway accidents are becoming a daily feature,

there is a serious defalcation in a public undertaking, individual freedom is being curtailedorsteadly encroachment are taking place on our borders by powerful neighbors, then Sikhs are

accused of separatism, Muslims of conspiring with Pakistan, Christians of backing the Nagas,Parsees of trying to cultivate foreign contracts, Anglo-Indians of disowning their own

motherland and Scheduled Caste of being ungreatful to the all powerful Hindu community.

Specific safeguards needed for minorities

Having understood the causes behind prejudice and its manifestation in the shape ofdiscrimination. Let the minoritys demand with one voice effective legislation against the

widespread evil until it is rooted out through a process of mass education. Till then, let theminorities be protected through adequate safeguards calculated to ensured them: -


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a. Recognition as Corporate entities

b. Effective representation in the Parliament an Legislaturec. Equal access to employment opportunities and educational facilities

d. Safety of their language and culture

e. And lastly, a place for them in society as equal citizens of Democratic Republic

Let me conclude this note with a few relevant quotations from a compilation by Dr. Joseph B.

Gittler entitled Understanding Minority Groups. Dr. Gittler is Chairman of the department ofsociology in the University of Rochester and director of the Institute for the Study of Group

Relations. In his preface to the compilation, Dr. Gittler writes:-

Of the host of problems stemming from group interaction, that of majority groups are

those groups whose members experience a wide range of discriminatory treatment andfrequently are relegated to positions relatively low in the status structure of our social

system.

In the introductory note, Dr Cornelis W. de Kiewiet, President University of Rochester,writes:-

The world is still full of the discrimination of race, color and creed. Some of its lies

hidden behind the opaque barriers elevated by communism. In India, the discriminationsrepresented by the unequal relationship between the Indian population and the British Raj

disappeared, yet new tensions, caused by differences of language and historic traditionhave taken their place, so that the wholeness and stability of new India are not yet firmly

assured. Unequal access to law, education and work is morally indefensible,economically unprofitable and politically unwiseGreatest of all aids in increasing the

sum of human cooperation amongst social groups is sense of security.

Be it noted that victims of discriminatory treatment, besides the non-Hindus, are Brahminsthemselves, which shows that is behind the policy of discrimination is not religion as such butlust for power, greed for all good things of life and petty-mindedness. The electorate being

ignorant and poor, vote can easily be captured by the ruling party, which commands power aswell as other resources. That is why only such candidates are put for elections as stand a good

chance of winning, regardless of their educational qualifications, integrity of character,antecedents, means of livelihood, reputation in society and their real views on the problems

facing the country. Exceptions are very few. Can the minorities except secularism to thrive inthis atmosphere, when all decent, principled and self-respecting Indians have been pushed into

the background?

In the course of a note circulated at the National Integration conference, Shri J. S SivaShanumugham Pillai, member, Union Public Service Commission and a former Chairman of the

Madras Legislative Council wrote:

Do elections take place on the basis of parties? Are we not aware that communal sub-communal feeling works largely in election? Take districts like Coimbatore or south


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Arcot in madras. Leaving aside the reserved seats, can any party put up a candidate whois not Vaniya and win a seat in south Arcot? The reason is Vaniyas predominate in south

Arcot. Can a candidate who is not go under win a seat in Coimbatore? Do the voters carefor parties? Nobody. Except a go under can win in Coimbatore? The Goundas

predominate there. So to win seats, parties themselves set up candidates on the basis of

sub-Castes. An analysis of the result of the last election will bear witness to what I havewritten. The linguistic, communal and sub-communal feelings are seen in elections,These facts are there and they play havoc in the day to-day life of our people.

Small wonder then that Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru is forced to connive at the countrywide breach

or non-observance of Articles 15, 29, and 30 of the Constitution. If he sticks to his professedprinciples, he may have to deprive the country of the many benefits of his own valuable

leadership. Speaking at the German Association for Foreign Affairs, Bonn on July 14, 1956,Prime Minister Nehru openly confessed: There are many things I have to do which I cannot

justify by high principles A leader, more especially in a democratic country, will only beleader in so far as he can carry his people with him Inevitably he takes to

compromiseCompromise with truth is a dangerous thing; but it has to be done. And once youstart compromising you may go on compromising till you are at the bottom of the pit, because no

standards are left. Nevertheless, there is no other way for a leader by to adapt him tocircumstances.

During all these 14 years, minorities have put up with all the indignities partly in the hope that

things might improve and partly out of the fear that if they embarrassed Pandit Nehru, they mayhave to face a worse regime. But now that the Jan Sangh, the Mahasabha, the Rama Rajya

Parishad and the R.S.S., having gained enough strength, have been good enough to sound a clearnote of warning as to the shape of things to come and the minorities have discovered, to their

utter discomfiture, that Pandit Nehru is unwilling to risk his own popularity with the majoritycommunity for their sake, they are now obliged to ask for specific Constitutional safeguards. The

question that every upholder of Human Rights is asking himself is: will Pandit Nehru come tothe rescue of Indias religious minorities or preach a homily to them to reconcile themselves to

the imminent danger? History will judge him by the answer.

Suffering which falls to our lot in the course of nature, or by chance, or fate, does notseem so painful as suffering which is inflicted on us by the arbitrary will of another

Schopanhauer.

B. Shyam Sunder--National Integration and Problems of Minorities

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