Challenges to National Integration:
(i) The feeling of National Integration or the feeling of oneness is hurt by.
(a) Religions.
(b) Lingual. and
(c) Regional loyalties.
(ii) On many occasions, communal outlook, lingual favour and regional loyalty pose a serious threat to national integration. So, communalism, linguism and regionalism are the main challenges before our national integration.
(iii) In our country the feeling of oneness between Hindus and Muslims has been challenged on many occasions. Although there have been minor communal riots in Bihar, U. P. and other States, but the most cruel scenes of riots appeared in 1947 and 1992 which had touched the entire length and breadth of our nation.
In communal riots, the people forget that they are Indians. They forget that the people whom they are going to kill are also Indians. They are not influenced by national identity. Religious fundamentalists and fanatics guide them. Some political and religious leaders add fuel to communalism to promote vested interests. Thus, communalism is a challenge to national integration.
(iv) Like communalism, linguism also poses a threat to national integration. Lingual loyalty is against the feeling of oneness among the people of a nation. In linguism, the people forget about their national identity and attach more and more importance to their lingual identity. Because of the relative status of individual languages, they come in conflict and behave like enemies. They develop jealousy and hatred towards the people speaking other languages. They cause damage to lives and properties of other lingual groups. They behave as if they are not Indians. The people of south Indian states prefer English in place of Hindi language. That is why both Hindi and English have been declared as official languages.
(v) Regionalism, like communalism and linguism, is also a challenge to national integration. Regional aspirations of the people articulated by their leaders threaten national integration or the feeling of oneness.
(vi) In the wake of communal riots, we forget our national identity and start behaving as fanatics. We breed hatred and jealousy towards the people of other religions. The people of religious groups damage the life and property of other religious groups. Both groups involved in comunal riots forget their common national identity. Just a feeling of hatred is there.
