From November 19 onward, the Centre will organise Qaumi Ekta Week, or National Integration Week, across the country. The National Integration Week will be celebrated with a view to foster and reinforce the spirit of communal harmony in India, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Sunday.
During Qaumi Ekta Week, to emphasise on themes of secularism, anti-communalism, and non-violence, the Centre plans to organise several meetings and seminars discussing the importance of these values.
The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) is an autonomous organisation within the Ministry of Home Affairs. It will organise a communal harmony campaign to coincide with the National Integration Week.
“The Foundation promotes Communal Harmony and strengthens National Integration. It also provides financial assistance for relief and rehabilitation of children rendered orphan or destitute in communal, caste, ethnic or terrorist violence,” the MHA said in a statement, DNA reported.
Why is the National Integration Week being observed?
“With a view to foster and reinforce the spirit of Communal Harmony, National Integration and pride in vibrant, composite culture and nationhood, the ‘Qaumi Ekta Week’ (National Integration Week) will be observed all over the country, from tomorrow [November 19] to 25th November, 2018,” the MHA’s statement read, as reported by DNA.
The MHA said that the observation of the “Quami Ekta Week” will help in underlining the Indian resilience against actual and potential threats to its secular fabric.
“This occasion also provides an opportunity to reaffirm age-old traditions and faith in the values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society,” the ministry said, as per the DNA report.
Which other events will be commemorated?
As part of the National Integration Week, November 20 will be observed as “Welfare of Minorities Day” wherein fraternal processions will be taken out in riot-prone towns.
Thereafter, November 21 will be observed as “Linguistic Harmony Day”. On this day, special literary functions and ‘Kavi Sammelans will be organised wherein people can appreciate the linguistic heritage of other parts of India.
Weaker Sections Day will be celebrated on November 22, wherein meetings and rallies will be organised to highlight various government schemes regarding the welfare and upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SC) , Scheduled Tribes (ST) and other weaker sections of the society. On this day, particular emphasis will be placed on the distribution of surplus land to landless labourers.
November 23 would be marked as Cultural Unity Day wherein cultural functions will be organised for the conservation of culture, and to showcase India’s unity in diversity.
The next day, November 24, will be observed as “Women’s Day” wherein role of women in Indian society and in the development of nation-building will be highlighted.
November 25 marks the final day of National Integration Week. This day will be observed as “Conservation Day” and several meetings and functions will be organised to shed light on the growing need for awareness and action to conserve the environment.
Communal harmony in India
Although instances like riots, mob lynchings, and other crimes against minorities might have wrecked a havoc on communcal harmony in India, there have been instances where people have truly embodied the secualr spirit of the nation.
In June 2018, Ankit Saxena’s father, Yashpal organised an iftaar gathering for 200 people to send out a message of love and peace. Ankit was allegedly murdered by his Muslim girlfriend’s family four months earlier in February in Delhi. However, by inviting Muslims to an iftaar gathering, Yashpal Saxena did something we all could aspire to do.
In another instance, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs came together to clean a polluted river called Kathina in Uttar Pradesh. The river is situated near a religious campus where a temple, a mosque, and a gurdwara are located in Maholi in Sitapur. Volunteers from all three faiths came together to start a cleanliness drive on March 14.
In 2015, during the festival of Bakri-Eid, many Muslims in Mumbai were seen performing their prayers inside a Ganpati pandal. This example of communal harmony occurred after members of the Seva Sangh Ganeshotsav Mandal in Colaba saw that the Madrassa Rahamatiya Talimul Quran mosque was unable to accommodate all devotees. The Mandal’s members then invited the devotees to the pandal so that they could pray in peace.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius