Regionalism And National Integration

Regionalism can be defined as the identity of a person or people within a specific geographical region, language, and culture. Regionalism create brotherhood and oneness among the people to promotes the welfare and development of the particular regions and its people. In India regionalism implies excessive attachment to one’s region, which can be threat to the national integration. The roots of regionalism started in the colonial british period, by exploitative economic policies disparities and regional imbalances. the Non-Brahmin Dravida movement started in 1940s in Tamil Nadu. Later, this movement converted for the demand of a separate independent Tamil state. In period of 1950s and 1960s various intense mass mobilisation of violent nature take place for the demands of statehood. during this period in India many princely states and other states started demand for separate state. Regional regionalism movements also seen in the form of militant and fundamentalist groups for the separation from India on the basis of ethnicity and other factors. Regionalism create linguistic or ethnic minorities unite against the majority community in that state. Regionalism demand within a state by people recognition of their regional identities rises because of imbalances, inefficient planning, isolation some part, neglect of a region, Internal colonialism,survival of one region at the cost of the other region, imposition of a particular ideology, language or cultural pattern, and expression of ethnicity. Regionalism can create militancy, extremism, which is a threat for the internal security and national integrity. threat.Nationalism is a sense of feeling belonging to one nation regardless of their caste, creed, culture, religion and region. when people identifying themselves more strongly with their region than their nation, it is called the sense of regionalism. nationalism tries to unite and establish harmony between all citizens through the constitution, national symbols, and national songs, while regionalism put all efforts towards particular region and culture. regionalism is considered as a threat to the sovereignty of the nation. Regionalism promotes Vote Bank politics, which weakens the national integration and harmony. Regionalism weaken the Unity in Diversity. regionalism is not threat or anti-national phenomenon, unless the militant, and aggressive turn happen.Constitution has various institutional mechanism to resolve the threats posed by violent regionalism.