National Integration Day

The aim of National Integration Day is to bring unity, peace, and spreading of love and brotherhood among fellow Indians. Even after 68 years of Indian Independence still some politically motivated, external aided, wrongly informed youth are trying to disrupt our unity and communal harmony. This day is also celebrated as Quami Ekata Divas and in remembrance of the First Indian woman Prime Minister's birthday celebration.

Challenge to India Unity
India is a country with wide cultural, multi lingual, multi religious, multi sects, and geographical diversified region. Some religious fundamentalist are trying to take advantage of different language and getting political mileage in threatening the fabric of national unity. All the above forces and factors do pose a serious challenge to India's unity and integrity and, therefore, conscious efforts will have to be made by all concerned to preserve the same. The youth of the country in particular will have to be put in the vanguard of such efforts. The scheme of Promotion of National Integration of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is one such small but significant step in this direction.

Aim
The aim and the theme of National Integration Day is to bring youth & all walks of life of different religious back ground, different economical, social, cultural and education, together in a camp and common platform so that these young people will understand and learn about each other try to work in a group and then when they go back to their native place can spread and develop better understanding of different perceptions, beliefs, faiths and life - styles, which in turn would strengthen a secular and eclectic outlook on their part..

National Intergration Programmes and Activites
The Scheme intends to provide Central assistance in the form of grant-in-aid subject to all such conditions as are envisaged under the scheme, corresponding sanction letter, General Financial Rules 1963, Delegation of Financial Power Rules, 1958 and such other Govt. of India decisions issued from time to time as are applicable, for conducting the following programmes and activities:
a. National Integration Camp (NIC);
b. Inter - State Youth Exchange Programme (ISYEP);
c. Organisation of symposia and seminars on issues relevant to national integration;
d. Organisation of multi - cultural activities on the theme of national integration;
e. Undertaking of research and publications on issues relevant to national integration;
f. Undertaking of community service by youth drawn from different regions, backgrounds and faiths;
g. Organization of leadership training camps for youth drawn from different regions, backgrounds and faiths;
h. National Youth Festival;
i. National Youth Award;
j. Other activities and programmes, which foster communal harmony and national unity.

Birth day of Celebration of Indira Gandhi as Quami Ekata Divas

Brief History

Indira Gandhi was born on 19 November 1917 at Allahabad to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru. Indira Priyadarshini was educated at Viswa Bharati University, and in Oxford. She became involved in political life almost from the childhood.

Marriage
Indira married Feroze Gandhi in the year 1942 She became a member of the Congress Working Committee in 1955 and was elected President in 1959. She became a member of the Cabinet of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Minister for Information. In 1966 on the sudden demise of Shastriji at Taskant at Russia. she was made the Prime Minister.

Major Achievements
Indira Gandhi strengthened the democratic structure and tradition of India. She had tremendous influence on the masses. Among the major achievements of Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister were India's role during the liberation war in Bangladesh including human handling of refugees and winning of 1971 war against Pakistan. She gave direction to India's economy to reach the declared objectives of democratic socialism and greater social justice for weaker sections. It was under her leadership that the signing of Shimla Pact with Pakistani Premier Z.A. Bhutto and the signing of Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation took place. Under her leadership nationalised banks, abolished privy purses of maharajas and conducted the first nuclear tests at Pokhran. In her tenure the first Asian Games were held in New Delhi. She was the instrumental for the development of science and technology in India. Under her leadership India's first Astronaut Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma went to Space. Indian Space Research and Peaceful Nuclear development had grown under her able guidance.

Emergency Rule
One of the major political debacle in her life was the imposition of emergency rule in 1975 proved to be a major mistake that she realised later. She had to sacrifice her rule to her opposition.

Interest in Art and Literature
Indira Gandhi was deeply interested in literature, music and fine arts. Various cultural institutions, performing artists, educationists, intellectuals received her patronage and encouragement. She was proud of India's cultural heritage and it was on her initiative that Asiatic Society, Calcutta received the status of an institution and national importance. She was conferred with Bharat Ratna in the year 1971.

Young and Dynamic Leadership
Indira Gandhi was one of the most charismatic leaders of modern India whose ideas and activities touched different spheres of India's public life and politics and left an imprint on world affairs, especially, the Non-alignment Movement. She was the Prime Minister for over fifteen-and-half years.

Death
One day before her death she visited Orissa and held a grand meeting at Bhubaneswar. On her return to New Delhi Indira Gandhi passed into history when she fell to the assassin's bullets on 31 October 1984 at her residence. These assassins were none other than her own security men and body guards.

As a mark of respect to the departed leader her birthday is observed as National Integration Day or Quami Ekata Divas. This week long National Integration Day celebration ends with Flag Day. Flag day is celebrated all over India, to raise funds for the children of victims of Communal Violence. The Government of India has given special permission to raise funds for the development and upliftment of Victims of Communal Violence and their children.

It is always said about India that it has unity in diversity. Many a small splinters have come to divide & disintegrate India into small pieces but it is the love & patriotism of each & every Indian that India is still united to the infinity.