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GULF TIME
Swadesh Singh
Rajasthan Day was celebrated few months back in the Indian city of Surat with full splendour where people from both Rajasthani and Gujarati community participated in large numbers. A wave of cultural pride swept through Surat as 12,000 women together performed the mesmerising traditional Ghumar dance.[1] This was a vivid celebration not just of heritage, but of fraternity in action. This idea of fraternity needs to be understood in a new light when individuals, communities and states are turning more intolerant day by day.
As a theoretical concept, fraternity—the spirit of brotherhood, solidarity, and mutual respect—has stood alongside liberty and equality. This triad gained prominence during the French Revolution of 1789, where fraternity was not treated as an emotional afterthought but as a moral and political necessity.
In India, this value finds not just political but spiritual resonance. Our Constitution enshrines fraternity in its Preamble but the roots go even deeper. Ancient Indian wisdom has always emphasized harmony, shared learning, and the absence of animosity. The Shanti Mantra embodies this ethos: “May we work together with great energy… May there be no hate among us.”[2] This is not merely a prayer for peace, but a philosophical declaration of togetherness, solidarity, and mutual respect.
Indian culture sees the world as one interconnected family. It shows how the Indian tradition views the world as an organic whole, where peace and solidarity are cultivated not through separation, but through union. This cosmic interconnectedness finds beautiful expression in the concept of Ardhanarishvara – the divine fusion of masculine and feminine energies- symbolizing not opposition, but union and balance. Similarly, the timeless value of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam[3] encapsulates the moral core of Indian civilizational thought.[4] This verse is not just poetic idealism, it is a profound ethical proposition that transcends divisions of caste, creed, class, nationality, and religion.
In the contemporary world, the idea of fraternity faces profound challenges, not just within nations but across the global stage. The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war, and ethnic cleansing in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh reflect how nations are fracturing along identity lines. Closer home, deepening communal fault lines, caste-based discrimination, and political polarisation threaten the fragile social fabric of India.
At such a juncture, the idea of fraternity is no longer just a constitutional value, it is a global necessity. What we require today is not merely a reiteration of the principle, but a reimagination of the idea of fraternity through new dimensions.
Fraternity as Policy Initiative
In India, one of the few public initiatives that comes close to embedding the constitutional value of fraternity into policy and practice is the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme. Designed to promote a sense of shared identity across India’s diverse cultural landscape, EBSB promotes sustained and structured interactions between states and union territories through a unique state pairing model. Anchored in a ‘whole-of-government’ approach, the initiative is coordinated by the Ministry of Education with support of other ministries. The initiative’s flagship programmes—Yuva Sangam, Kashi Tamil Sangamam, Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, and Ek Bharat Sanskriti Sangamam stand out as vibrant platforms of cultural interaction. Yuva Sangam, inspired by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s vision, enables youth exposure tours across paired states, offering multidimensional experiences in areas such as tradition, tourism, technology, interaction, and progress.
Similarly, the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, first held in Varanasi in 2022, reconnects ancient civilisational links between the Tamil region and Kashi. In its first edition, 2,500 delegates participated, and PM Modi released a translated version of the Tirukkural in 13 Indian languages. The 2023 edition, organized through an inter-ministerial collaboration with BHU and IIT Madras, saw the release of 46 Braille books encompassing 109 volumes of Tamil classics. Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, held in Gujarat in April 2023, echoed similar civilisational bonding, with seminars on the Ramayana and Mahabharata in Tamil traditions.
Sustained activities by various ministries further implant the idea of fraternity into daily civic life. The Ministry of Tourism conducts heritage walks, culinary demos, and street plays with around 9,000 monthly participants. The Ministry of Defence runs essay competitions and cadet exchange programmes through Sainik Schools. The Ministry of Youth Affairs organizes zonal tournaments in indigenous sports and webinars on regional histories.
The Ministry of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has also played a pivotal role by mobilizing 18 lakh students monthly from over 30,000 schools through CBSE, KVS, and NVS in competitions like Meri Maati Mera Desh, regional drama performances, and interactive language-based programmes. Innovations like Bhasha Sangam app and Recipe Corner further highlight the creative push towards grassroots engagement.
Fraternity is also nurtured through the celebration of regional cultures on national platforms. Increasingly, statehood days and local festivals are being recognized beyond their geographical boundaries. These celebrations do not dilute cultural uniqueness but showcase how India’s diversity contributes to a larger sense of belonging. Similarly, the observance of Bihar Diwas in different states, or visit of youth delegation of one state to other state for experiential learning, cross-state festivals across schools and universities are reinforcing emotional integration across India’s length and breadth.
Despite several commendable initiatives by the government, the road to a truly fraternal society demands much more consistent and deeper engagement from the state itself. In the face of rising intolerance and polarizing narratives, it becomes imperative that the state continues to invest in culturally integrative efforts that foster shared belonging. However, the responsibility of cultivating fraternity cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the state.
[1] https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!videos/12000-rajasthani-women-world-record-ghoomar-dance-performance-in-surat-gujarat-enn25033104128
[2] ॐ सह नाववतु, सह नौ भुनक्तु, सह वीर्यं करवावहै, तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु, मा विद्विषावहै. ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः। Om, may God protect both teacher and student, May He nourish us together, May we work together with great energy, May our studies be enlightening, May there be no hate among us. Om peace, peace, peace.
[3] https://resanskrit.com/blogs/blog-post/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam?srsltid=AfmBOooTJXuPQ0RsB7V0tK_9cD_dEuPP7m45o00faMGRcHapjmyVYfBJ
[4] अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥
(Author teaches Political Science at Delhi University)