National Integration Day: Promoting Peace, Unity and Integration Among Different Segments of the Society in I

"A nation's strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others." - Indira Gandhi

Every year on November 19, we celebrate National Integration Day to mark the birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi. The main aim of the day is to motivate people about maintaining unity, peace, love, and brotherhood among them, as these are the important elements required for a country to become a strong and vibrant nation.

Introduction

The National Integration Day - Preserving Unity and Integrity and Strengthening India's Democratic Values

The National Integration Day is observed on the birth anniversary of India's first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to honour her memories and contributions in strengthening India's democratic structure. The day endorses the message of preserving unity and integrity among the citizens of India, regardless of their caste, colour, language, religion and societal status.

Also Called Quami Ekta Divas

The National Integration Day is also known as 'Quami Ekta Divas'. The day is celebrated across the country to promote unity and harmony.

Early Life of Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was born on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad to the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1942, she married Feroze Gandhi, who was a freedom fighter, politician and journalist. In 1955, she became a Congress Working Committee member and was elected as the President of CWC in 1959.

As the Minister for Information, Indira Gandhi joined the Cabinet of Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1966, she became the first woman Prime Minister of India after the sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri at Tashkent, Russia. Indira Gandhi was a great politician and played an important role in strengthening the Indian democratic structure and tradition. Indira Gandhi received the Bharat Ratna in 1971.

Significance of the National Integration Day

Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Variations Among Its Population
India is a country having huge cultural, religious and linguistic variations, with every state following different cultures and people speaking different languages, thereby making India one of the largest culturally and linguistically diverse nation in the world.

India has a population of more than 139 crores and is home to major religions and beliefs of the world. It also has at least 2,000 major ethnic groups speaking 780 different languages. The spirit of unity irrespective of their religion, culture and beliefs binds this vast population to stay together and make India the largest successful democracy in the world.

It is only because its people are together that India is one of the largest economies of the world and it has all the constituents of becoming the world's super power. The National Integration Day prompts us of the trust and understanding that we share with our fellow citizens. Still, it is this spirit of togetherness and unity that we celebrate on 'National Integration Day'.

Tenure Filled with Technological and Social Development of India

The day was chosen to honour Indira Gandhi for her efforts towards the technological and social development of India during her tenure as the Prime Minister.

She did an admirable job in improving India's foreign relations with world powers and also promoting home-based organizations such as Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO, which was established during her tenure) and DRDO.

Events and Programmes on National Integration Day

On National Integration Day every year, many events and programmes are organised across the country in schools and universities such as Inter State Youth Exchange Programme (ISYEP), National Integration Camp (NIC), National Youth Festival and National Youth Award.

National Integration Camp

National Integration Camp is an initiative by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) for encouraging cultural harmony and promoting equality. The main objective for organizing these camps is to connect the cultural divide between different states, religions and ethnicities and also bringing justice to the NCC's motto of 'Unity and Discipline'.

The events are organized to improve the knowledge of students on the diversity of India and to inculcate in them the need for national integration and national unity.

Unity in Diversity - The Main Focus Area of Celebrating the National Integration Day
The National Integration Day doesn't have any particular theme, rather it spreads the message of unity and integrity among all the people living in the country.

Usually, the day is celebrated with themes emphasizing on welfare of the minority, cultural and linguistic harmony. The prime focus area is the celebration of unity in diversity.