National integration

National integration

India is the second highly populated country of the world after china. According to the census of 2001 there are more then 102 crores people are living in India, all these people are of different religions, different casts, different regions, different language, different mental and physical status, different economic segments, different social status. One can easily say that despite all of these diversities and differences there is a unity in India from North to south. East to west India is unite. According to our great first prime minister pandit Jawaharlal Nehru , "In India we saw unity in diversity and diversity in unity."

Unity or integration has same meaning. National integration is the most important thing of every country and also of the people of that country. Without integration the existence of the country is in trouble . Besides all countries the integration is also very important for India. From the olden times peoples of India had many differences. From very old times many assulters came to India and then killed our people and some of them returned to their country and some of them became the part of the our country.

Alexender the great was the first assulter who attacked India in 322 B.C. The Greeks were very much impressed by Indians and Indians also impressed very much by Greeks from then the foreigners came to India and then Indians went to Greece. After few months of Alexender's attack "Chandra Gupta maurya" established a strong empire and first time made India a nation inspire of a group of states, by this Chandra Gupta maurya established a "National integration".

After the end of Gupta empire the "National integration" couldn't be established in indian and then the attack of muhammad bin kasim, mehmood ghaznabi, Mohammad gauti, mangols, Babar, nadir shah, Ahmed shah abdali and then at least British all of them destroyed the national integration of India, so about 1500 years there is no "National integration" in India. All Muslim invaders attacked and establishment of their empire. The British came to India when the Mughal empire was powerful and many independent states was established. But when the power of Mughal empire was decreasing then britishers got the chance to increase their power and they did it so perfectly at that time. There was no national integration between the people of our country, so British east India company slowly-slowly captured many indian states.

British also damage all signs of integration by applied the policy "divide and rule" . The main reason for the victory of invaders over India was the lack of "National integration" if we were unite no one can defeated but lack of national Integration made the road easy to the assulters. When britishers spreaded their empire then the people of different states came together and they thought that they had to live like slaves in their own country. This feeling was encouraged by national leaders like mahatma Gandhi, pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, sardar vallabhbhai Patel, maulana Azad, lokmanya bal gangadhar tilak, loknayak jai Prakash Narayan, gopal Krishna gokhle, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Subhash Chandra Bose, chandrashekhar Azad and bhagat Singh etc. All those leaders played great and important role in the formation of national integration.

All these leaders were working for the independence of India, and they all knew that the britishers did leave our country untill the whole country demanded the freedom, so they told the people of India that unity or integration is the most effective weapon in our hands if we all are unite and then demand the independence then this dream came true. So during the freedom struggle national integration played very significant and important role, if we are not integrated then independence was not achieved, so integration is the must need for independence.

National integration was strengthen during the national freedom struggle. If we didn't unite we couldn't got the independence. But unfortunately after the independence the national integration is eliminated and we can saw it very hardly. After independence many problems as : communalism, regionalism, linguism, castism are capture the indian society. Our greedful political leaders use the problems for their self interests. All these things are the dangers for national integration.

We can achieve our independence by our integration, this proved that power of integration. Integration is a must thing for the development of our country. Now the time is come that we all now left the narrow loyalities and integrated ourself and then move towards development, it is sure that when we eliminate the problems in the way of "National integration" we definitely make India a develop country very soon.

Importance of newspapers

Importance of newspapers

Newspapers are a great power in themselves. They are a great power to be reckoned with so much so that even very mighty and influential persons in politics, industries or social life cannot dare to face their hostility. Their freedom and power is of vital significance in democratic countries like the U.S.A. and India. They work as the watchdogs of democracy, human rights and individual freedom. They fill the gap between the public and the government and administration by working as a bridge and meaningful means of dialogue.

They are not only one of the mass media but much more. They keep the public informed about the polices, programmes and planning of the government and record the people's reactions, views, opinions etc. They help in making public opinion as nothing else can do. Personal freedom is the essence of democracy and it is reflected in the freedom and influence of the press and the newspapers. Newspapers should have full freedom to criticise, condemn, warn, encourage and appreciate the workings of the government based on their merit. It is the vigilant and investigative journalism and brave, fearless and daring newspapers which have exposed many scandals, scams, misdeeds and corruption of the governments throughout the globe.

As such, newspapers carry a great responsibility and accountability. But there is no room for yellow journalism, biased reporting, sensationalism, favouritism or unethical practices. They have to be impartial, objective, fair, fearless, investigative and responsive to public obligations. They should never try to thrive on sensational, distorted and motivated news, views, interviews, editorials, etc. They should never misuse their rights, privileges and powers. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The press should always keep this universal truth in mind and never indulge in character assassination, favouritism, untruths, half truths and exaggerated reporting. Newspapers can be an instrument of great public good or evil. Press can help in promoting communal harmony, national unity, integrity, brotherhood, removal of superstitions and other social evils like dowry, untouchability, casteism, gender-bias etc. On the other hand if abused and misused they can be an instrument of rumours, communal hatred, bloodshed, disintegration, riots, conflicts and schism.

The journalism in India has come of age and so the newspapers have been discharging their duties and responsibilities fairly well and appreciably. We cannot think of like without newspapers. They have become almost as essential as our daily morning tea or breakfast. If there is a strike of newspapers for some reason even for a day, the readers miss them very much. They feel a sort of void in their daily life and the uneasiness can be seen writ large on their faces. They are the cheapest and a very rich source of latest news, information, views, comments, commodity quotes, bullion rates, stock market positions, government policies and programmes and much more.

They bring the whole world at the readers' door-steps and keep their knowledge updated and upgraded. They are virtually an encyclopedia of day-to-day knowledge. They have leading articles, editorials, interviews, comments and reviews which are a good source of public enlightenment. The ads about vacancies, cultural activities, sales, marriages, hobbies, lost and found articles etc. are of great importance to the general public. Newspapers bring people closer and nearer to one another and serve a great social, cultural and national purpose. The news about games and sports, crimes, accidents, local issues, books, cinema, etc. is also of much value and significance. They have become so important that even illiterate people want them to be read to them. Many people have become literate only because they themselves wanted to read the newspapers at their will independently.

In India today there are daily newspapers in English, Hindi, Urdu and all others regional languages. Besides daily there are weeklies, fortnightlies and monthlies. During the last three years the number of daily newspapers has grown to 4,043 from 3,740. The total circulation has also increased phenomenally from 6,76,61,100 copies in 1993 to 7,23,02,000 copies in 1994. The number of the Hindi newspapers is the highest followed by Urdu. In English there are about 204 dailies. The expansion in circulation, number of publications and readership reflect their great popularity. With further expansion of education and literacy in the coming years, there would be more and more appreciable increase in terms of their circulation, readership, and publication. The liberalisation of economy, globalisation of industries popularity of stock markets etc. augurs well for the newspapers. In spite of electronic media like television, the hold of newspapers on the public will remain firm and fast.

India a traveler's paradise

India a traveler's paradise

India is a vast subcontinent, in which people of different languages and numerous dialects live together. A visit to India is a great opportunity to see the unique blend of different religions, customs, festivals, sights and sounds. The whole territory of indian peninsula is dotted with tourist destinations from Kashmir to kanyakumari and Gujarat to west Bengal. From snow-covered mountains to golden beaches, widely spread deserts to lush green forests, India is a true traveler's paradise. Among the famous tourist destinations in India include.

Delhi : The capital city of India is the administrative centre of the country. The historical city is now famous for spacious roads, flyovers, metro railway service, shopping malls, multiplexes and amusement parks. Delhi has many places of tourist interest like the rashtrapati bhawan, parliament house, red fort, jama Masjid, qutab minar, humayun's tomb, India gate and lotus temple etc.

Goa : Goa is famous for its silver sands and golden beaches. The place was ruled by the Portuguese more than five hundred years. Goa houses some of the most ancient and beautiful building of the country. Panaji, the capital city of Goa is major tourist destination, other important tourist destinations are margao, Vasco-da-gama, mapusa. Mormugao harbor, mollem, bicholim, valpoi, ponda, tiracol, etc.

Agra : The city also called as the city of Taj, is located in Uttar Pradesh state of India. Agra was a major centre of Mughal dynasty. It is famous worldwide for its world heritage sites of Taj Mahal and Agra fort. In addition other important tourist attractions in and around the city are the itmad-ud-daulah's tomb, sikandra and Fatehpur sikri.

Kashmir : The city also referred as the paradise on earth, is famous for its blue valleys, lakes and mountains. Srinagar the capital city of Jammu & Kashmir is popular for dal and nagin lakes. The shankaracharya temple provide the breathtaking view of the Kashmir valley. Other tourist attractions are Mughal gardens of Shalimar, hazratbal dargarh, pahalgam and gulmarg.

Kovalam : The small village, 13 Kms away from traivandrum district in Kerala, is famous all over the world for its beaches. Situated on the coast of Arabian sea, kovalam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. The major attractions of kovalam are the ayurvedic salons and resorts.

Alleppey : Alleppey or Alappuzha is a small town of Kerala. Alleppey is known for its picturesque canals, backwaters and lagoons created by sea. Also called as the 'Venice of the East' Allepey is popular for its coir factories, fish and lakes. The major attraction of alleppey is the snake boat races, which held between august and October.

Bangalore : Bangalore the capital city of Karnataka is also called as the 'garden city of India.' The city houses many buildings of historical and architectural importance. The popular tourist attractions of the city are Bangalore palace, Lal bagh, venkatappa art gallery, ISKCON, bull temple, vidhana soudha and cubbon park etc.

Mumbai : Mumbai formerly known as Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra. Also called as the commercial capital of India the city houses many tourist attractions like gateway of India, marine drive, Malabar hill, juhu beach, hanging gardens, kamla Nehru park, mahalaxmi temple, haji Ali shrine and siddhivinayak temple.

Aurangabad : The historical city is situated in the central part of Maharashtra. Aurangabad is a famous for its historical monuments including the world heritage sites of Ajanta and ellora. The major attractions of the Aurangabad include Aurangabad caves, bibi ka maqbara, panchakki, darwazas and himroo factory.

Chennai : Chennai the capital city of Tamil Nadu is one of the metro cities of India. The city is known for its rich culture and temple architecture. Chennai houses many temples, shrines, forts and palaces. Some of the famous attractions of the city include marina beach, fort St. George, high court complex, George town, corporation complex, government museum, national art gallery and kapaleeswarar temple.

Kolkata : Kolkata one among the metros of the country is the capital city of west Bengal. The city houses many tourist attractions like Howrah bridge, Alipur zoo, Victoria memorial, Birla planetarium and millennium park etc.

Antagonism between men and women

Antagonism between men and women

Women have always been oppressed by men, that the antagonism between men and women has its origin Deep in human psychology or biology and that the way women suffer in our society is nothing but the same old story that has been going on ever since human life began. This is such a pessimistic view that it is hard to understand why it is so popular with feminists today.

If women are put at a disadvantage by human nature itself, how can we ever change things? Either an all-out war against men could lead to men being forced to change their ways without changing their basic anti-women ideas or a few women could separate themselves off from the rest of society and be free in a sense or the human race could be destroyed by women refusing all co-operation with men. None of these conclusions can be very appealing for the majority of women.

On the other hand, the view that women are oppressed simply because men have the wrong ideas about women can be too optimistic. Liberating women is seen as just a matter of persuasion and education, of explaining to men that they have got it wrong and that they really should share the housework and the top jobs because it would be more fair. History shows that all ideas can change: None are so deep-rooted in human nature that nothing can be done about them. But they can't be changed by persuasion, by the light of reason alone, because ideas depend on material relations between human beings.

The idea that black people are inferior, for example, belongs to societies that exploit black people, either as slaves or as cheap labour. To get rid of the idea once and for all we have to get rid of the system that produces the idea. This doesn't mean that we can't argue or organise against racism here and now, but it does mean that persuading people that they have the wrong ideas is only the first step to getting rid of the society that is responsible for them. The idea that women are inferior comes from societies that are divided into classes, where one set of people control the labour of others and enjoy wealth and power as a result. Our own capitalist society is far from being the first society divided into classes, though we hope to make it the last. In ancient Greece and Rome, slaves were exploited by slave-owners, in Europe in the middle ages lords lived off the labour of serfs on the land and there have been variations of these societies at other times and places. With the rise of manufacture and the industrial revolution, those with wealth to invest as capital found new ways to make profits out of wage-earning men and women. In all these forms of society, women have been oppressed. But there have been, even in quite recent times, societies that were not divided into classes and where women did not have an inferior position.

These were the societies we call primitive, where there was no production other than the gathering of wild plants and hunting of wild animals. Nowadays, most of these societies have been affected by contact with European traders, rulers and missionaries, who have changed their ways of life.but when white men first came into contact with most of the native tribes of north America, Australia and the pacific islands, these were societies without classes, in which women were as strong and as powerful as men. When production was simple and population low, women's role as the bearers of children was important and respected. Though men and women might have their separate tasks and rituals, women as well as men took park in the most important decisions, such as whether to move a settlement or make war on another band or tribe. Couples might live together with their children, but sexual relations were more free and separation easier than in later societies.

When production increased, agriculture appeared and flocks and herds of animals were kept for food and wealth, class divisions began to appear. Men of wealth could make others work for them, buy slaves and take advantage of others' poverty. They began to own wives, too, like cattle and pass on their wealth to their male children. As a famous writer argued a hundred years ago, in his one of the most well known works, the oppression of women began when class society began. In this modern times, when people are educated enough to understand this serious issue, it becomes necessary to get rid of this evil soon. This can happen only when people collectively think above their conservative views and rituals. Now, women are no less than men in any respect. So it's high time to give women her right place in the society.

Comparison of the upanishads and the vedas

Comparison of the Upanishads and the Vedas

Although the Vedas and the Upanishads express common themes of the aryan world view, they differ greatly in genre and emphasis. Underlying both texts are the core ideas of the religion: the ubiquitousness of atman, Brahman's origins of non-being, the non-existence of physical reality, and the subtle, intangible existence of ultimate reality. But while the Vedas is mythical and ritualistic, the Upanishads is theological and devalues ritual.

The major reoccurring theme of the Upanishads is understanding the inner real self, the attainment of atman. Through parable and narrative, the Upanishads repeatedly teaches of the atman and the path to atman. The favored type of parable is that of the teacher and student, such as in the case of uddalaka Aruni and his son shvetaketu. The father patiently details example after example of the nature of ultimate reality: the lump of clay, and the ingot of iron, the fig seed, the salt in water. He uses these examples to illustrate an esoteric point, the key to attaining enlightenment. "Believe me, my dear, that which is the subtle essence" this whole world has that essence for its self; that real; that is the self; that art thou, shvetaketu. Here, the author uses simple examples to cater to the mind of the general audience, a technique not used in the Vedas. The author also touches upon the nature of man, "that art thou" and his connection with the real self.

In every passage of the Upanishads man and his place in the universe is the subject. The five sheaths metaphorizes the different stages of being, from unreal to real. Brahman holds the same significance as he does in the Vedas, but is presented out of the supernatural realm. Nonexistent, verily, does one become if he knows that Brahman is non-existent. If one knows that Brahman exists, such a one people thereby know as existent. Brahman is apart of every man as every man is in Brahman; one cannot be without the other. Unlike that which is purported in the Vedas, ritual and sacrifice is superfluous. The gods are rarely mentioned and tales of their greatness are untold. Those who delight in the sacrificial ritual are fools, like 'blind men led by one who is blind himself.' Most important are understanding and the desire for understanding, of the nature of the universe, the nature of man.

The Vedas and Upanishads have distinctively different approaches to the same goal. The Vedas focus on the gods and elaborate sacrifice and ritual makes Brahman seem supernatural. The Upanishads emphasizes the relationship between Brahman and man, making the religion and reaching enlightenment more tangible to all.

Aryan invasion theory

Aryan invasion theory

The major theory that has been repeated throughout time, to interrupt the evolution of India and migration of man, has been the Aryan invasion theory. According to this account, India was invaded and conquered by a nomadic tribe of indo-European tribes from central Asia around 1500-100 BC. It was said that these light skinned nomads fought a major battle with the darker skinned "Dravidian civilization, from which they took most of what later, became the Hindu culture."

The Aryan invasion theory is based upon ruins that were discovered in the Indus valley. The aryan people also cite how the aryan Vedic scriptures explain a war between the powers of light and darkness. This was therefore interpreted throughout time, to mean that the war occurred between a lighter skinned civilization and more dark skinned civilization. Scholars believed that the Aryans came Into India around the time of 1500 BC, since the Indus valley culture was earlier than this, they concluded that it had to be preAryan. It was also assumed by these same scholars, much of them who were of Christian origin, and unsympathetic to the Vedic culture, that the Vedic culture originated from primitive nomads from central Asia. Thus, the Vedic culture could not have found any "urban culture like that of the Indus valley."

The Vedic culture was thus said to be warriors of central Asian decent who came into India with horse drawn chariots and iron weapons. However, there was never any chariots or iron discovered in Indus valley sites. The whole idea of nomads with chariots has been challenged. How could these nomads travel through rough mountain valleys with these chariots? Horse drawn chariots, were vehicles that were most likely used in lands that were mostly flat. Therefore, it can be said that the metals and wheel fragments that were discovered could come from the Vedic culture. Opponents of the aryan Invasion theory, point to many different flaws in the theory. First off, some scholars now believe that it may have been just a pure biased opinion that has been passed on throughout time.

The aryan invasion theory served to divide India into a northern aryan and southern Dravidian culture, which were hostile to each other. This theory also gave the British an excuse in their conquest of India. They could claim to only be doing what their aryan ancestors had previously done. Lastly, by implementing the aryan invasion theory, the history and science of India was given a mostly Greek basis, thereby discarding the Vedic culture and history. The rig Veda scripture describes its gods as "destroyers of cities." This was used also in to regard the Vedic as a primitive non-urban culture that destroys cities and urban civilization. However according to Dr. David frawley, a Vedic scholar, these are many verses in the 'Rig veda' that speak of Aryans as having cities of their own. He points out that the destruction of cities does not simply turn these people into nomads.

The destruction of cities happens in many modern wars. Therefore, the idea of Vedic cultures destroying, but not building the cities, is based upon ignoring what the Vedas actually say about their own cities. Further excavation of the Indus valley revealed that the Indus valley culture was not destroyed by outside invasion, but rather was probably destroyed by a force of nature, most likely a flood. Most recently there have been discoveries of new cities in the Indus valley.

This may eliminate the so-called dark-age, that followed the pre-Aryan invasion and "shows a continuous urban occupation in India back to the beginning of the Indus culture." In regards to the war between light and dark civilizations, it may be looked at in the light that the Vedic civilization was the civilization of god or the sun, therefore, they were the light skinned civilization. The aryan invasion theory is very interesting theory, that has been intriguing to research. The acceptance of the aryan invasion theory was the easiest way for the aryan race to implement their dominance of the world. The acceptance of the view that this theory is wrong would change our view of history. It would make ancient India perhaps the oldest, largest and most central of ancient cultures. It would also mean that the 'Veda' would be the most authentic record of the ancient world. Most importantly, it would affirm the Hindu tradition that the dravidians were early offshoots of the Vedic people.

Indian unity in diversity

Indian unity in diversity

India is a multiracial country. People of various faiths and religions live here in harmony. There are the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the Sikhs, the jains, the Buddhists, the parsis, the Jews, the zorastrians and others. The Hindus are in majority. The Muslims constitute the largest single minority community. This great pageantry of people and faiths is unique to India. Indian ethos reflects the continuity and tolerance-tolerance of faiths, religions, languages, dialects, ideas, lifestyles and cuisines. There are at times frictions, communal conflicts and tensions but they are exceptions and not the rule and just aberrations. These are the legacy of the British rule and raj.

The Englishmen followed the policy of 'divide and rule' and many politicians and leaders in India still follow and practice this policy to keep their vote banks intact. India is a secular country. There is no state religion. All faiths and religions are equal before law. No faith is considered superior or inferior and people are absolutely free to preach, follow and practice any faith till it does not interfere with the freedoms of other people. India has been a secular state and country from the time immemorial and peoples of many faiths and religions sought shelter here in times of persecution in their own lands and countries. The Christian church here is much older than the coming of Islam.

The parsis came here seeking refuge in the eighteenth century from religious persecution in Iran and brought zorastrianism. The Jews came quite early about 2,000 years ago and settled down chiefly in Bombay, puna, Cochin and Delhi. In Hinduism itself there are hundreds of sects following different religious practices, rites, rituals and ways of worship and prayer. This religious diversity represents a complete and wonderful pattern of unity, integrity and wholeness. Variety is the spice of life and it is there in abundance in India. The sub-continental size and long history have been instrumental for all this richness, variety and diversity which converge into one people and one nation. They look like the different colours of a rainbow which in ultimate analysis belong to one pure, white light.

In such a huge country differences of ideas, opinions, tastes, faiths, ways of living etc. are bound to be there and they reflect the country's democratic traditions, liberal attitudes, toleration and spirit of accommodation and adjustment. There is a basic cultural unity which runs through its mainstream. It is this variety, diversity, dynamism, and resilience which have lent indian culture and civilization a ceaseless continuity and unity. There have been in the world a few other cultures and civilizations as old as that of India but they lacked continuity and did not survive as did the indian culture. In indian culture there have been many currents, cross currents but they have been merged, synthesised and digested into one organic whole of indianness.

The unity of thoughts, outlook, ethos and culture has had always been there in spite of apparent variety and diversity. Diversity and variety are apparent and their unity and integration real and historical. Indian culture is a composite culture, a common inheritance of which all are equally and immensely proud in spite of religious, linguistic, regional or geographical variations. One may be a Hindu, Muslim or Sikh or Kashmiri, Bengali, Tamil or Telugu but above all these denominational variety, all are Indians.

Their indianness is the first and foremost characteristic. Unity never means regimentation, uniformity or monotonous similarity. Unity is basically a feeling, an emotion, a sense of belonging to one nation, one culture, one common historical past and heritage. And these are there in plenty throughout the country. India is not only geographically one and united but also emotionally and culturally so. The emotional integration and cultural unity of India is perfect and well established. The deep faith in values of life, moral teachings and practices, one common and rich heritage can always be found among all the citizens of India through all its expanse.

This similarity in outlook, thoughts and ethos make India a strong and enviable nation. It is this basic framework on which indian polity has been based. The loyalty, faith, devotion and patriotism of its millions and millions of people are unquestionable. Their unity, oneness and common brotherhood can be seen in hours of crises, in fairs, festivals and such other cultural occasions. Absorption, assimilation, tolerance, continuity, diversity, etc. have been the sterling qualities of indian culture. Veneration of other faiths, ideas, concepts and ways of life have been essential ingredients of indian civilization.

They very well account for its strength and unity. Wide and universal outlook are the hallmarks of indianness. They lend strength, integration and unity in a way that is matchless. These varieties, diversities and multiplicities are the archways through which the royal road of indianness passes leading one to national unity and emotional integrity.