India is the world’s most complex and comprehensive pluralistic society. The country harbours a vast variety of races, tribes, castes, religions, languages and customs. Pluralism in a society is presence of multi religious, multi ethnic, multi lingual and multi cultural categories. It is the cultural diversity that is India’s pride on the world map.
India has always been a pluralist people, even when it was an essentially Hindu civilization. Hinduism is most diverse religious tradition in the world, with its Vedic, Tantric, Shaivite, Vaihnav and other sets, both ancient and modern. It also provided the ground for the Buddhist, Jain and Sikh traditions. It spawned perhaps the greatest diversity of spiritual teachings globally.
The unique feature of the Indian life style is its unity- in – multiplicity. And to strengthen this unity, our constitution makers in their wisdom ensured a secular, democratic and cultural framework protected and guaranteed by law. Despite the diverse role played by the colonial power over two centuries and the handiwork of extremists and politicians who represent vested interest essentially, almost all communities live here in harmony.
Indians are connected through the profound and creative cultural symbols of identity and communication, food, ritual, clothing, music, dance, craft etc. In other words we connect through the pluralistic fabric of the society. Pluralism does have many practical problems too and it is not all smooth sailing in any pluralistic society.
In the third world countries, the failure of the nation to deliver the needs and aspirations of the people have made pluralism the major source of tension, conflict and violence. In an increasing number of cases, cultural minorities are converting themselves into political minorities in order to seek recognition and protection of their distinctive identities. Witness the history of Kashmir or the ethnic group in Manipur; or the power of ULFA in Assam.
The challenge therefore is to manage pluralism without giving up the goal of national integration and without further emasculating the state. Cultural pluralism can be best managed by the democratic framework.
By Aparana Chauhan
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Khushwant Singh once said that greatest oxymoron of India is 'Indian made foreign liquor' though rightly said i believe greatest oxymoron of India is its pluralistic society. India takes pride of being a MULTIlingual, MULTIcultural, MULTIregional and so much MULTI hotchpotch but just because of multiplicity of MULTIequations more than half of population living under the poverty lines, and in every single regional issues fanatics suffers MULTIpsychotic emesis.Its because of pluralistic society,we feel so much alienated to other people when we travel one place from other. anyways, every coin has two sides and subconsciously we wish to dwell in this oxymoron.Aparna u've written a good piece. Demand of public is to get more write ups on more interesting topics.
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