Challenges of National Integration In India : Do We Need My Home India Kind Solution ?

Nation is not merely border drawn on world map by pen, it is a concept which blooms in the heart and mind of people. It is very sad that despite 65 years long journey of independent India, we are still divided by South Indian, North Indian, North East Indian blocks. If we go deeper, within this broad divide further sub divisions are visible. Among South Indians, there is a strong under current of Telgu, Tamil, Malyali, Odishi  , North Indians also further sub divided in Punjabi, Pahadi, Haryanvi, Marwari, Bihari, Bengali, among North East Indians there is a further sub division of  Manipuri, Nagas, Khasis, Mizo, Assamese etc. etc. It pains me when I visit USA or Europe to find out that instead of Indian Association, I find Marathi Mitra Mandal, Bengali Association or Tamil Sangam. Now the need of hour is to make our people aware that our sectarian, regional, religious identities should pave way to our much bigger identity i.e. Indian.  We have created a system full of misinformation, where we are not prepared to treat a Manipuri, Naga, Mizo or Assemese at par with other Indians, there are instances when they are branded or bracketted as Chinese.As we have done very little to bring the Indians staying in border districts, the local also treats other Indians in a very strange manner, Oousider's Shops, Establishments, Industries are subjected to protection money by local big wigs and muscle men and local police and administration watch this as silent spectator.

Few years back, My Home India, an NGO has tried to brake this vicious circle. They bring young people from North East and keep them with families in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur as a family member then after their education these young people go back to their home state with sweet lingering memories and sense of gratitude towards their mainland. They also honour every year an eminent person from North Eastern State who is working for development of local people as well as to bring them to mainstream. The driving force behind this organisation is Suneel Deodhar who spent 8-9 years in North East as teacher and himself saw utter neglect of the region by government agencies and decided to do something as an individual. Now Suneel is not alone, there is a bad of dedicated people with him helping to bridge this gap of trust among the communities.

Yesterday, My Home India has organised a function at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Mumbai  to honour Shri Nabam Atum for his selfless service to the people of Arunanchal Pradesh in bringing them to the mainstream.  Nabam  studied in Nagpur stayed with a local family as a family member, and after his studies decided to go back to his native, out of sheer dedication he jumped ladders and finally to high office of Arunanchal Pradesh Public Service Commission. But he never lost his focus of connecting people. Disease like cancer did not deter him organising Yatra with 75 young people across the Sino Indian border to instill confidence among the people living there . Arunanchal is having 1600 km long border with China so it is a very sensitive state, while  China has created wonderful infrastructure on their side, train, good roads, power, communication you name it, on the other hand   very little work is done on Indian side  to provide road connectivity, create infrastructure,  hospitals and educational institutions and communication. Constant stride by Nabam  has atleast  created some kind ripples.  In the present political scenario, when organisers decided to call Narendra  Modi to honour Nabam people started finding out some ulterior motive behind it, but it does not dilute the seriousness of the cause.