So far we have been discussing factors which work against national integration. Now we have to discuss measures for national integration.
In fact, in dealing with obstacles, our attention is naturally directed towards helpful factors, and we have already referred to the same at relevant places. But for a further clarification, we are reiterating the same onwards:
We have already stated earlier that some persons harbor doubts regarding political unity of India. It is true that in the past many rulers established their independent principalities in the country and ruled over them for decades but there has always been a wave which succeeded in binding all the people of this ancient land into one thread.
Our places of pilgrimages, instead of being centered at one particular place, are scattered all over the country. For example, look at the Badrinath, Rameshwaram, Kedarnath, Dwaraka Dham and Jagannathpuri.
They are situated at the four corners of the country. Out religious leaders thought of “one India” and wanted that the people should also feel likewise and should travel throughout the country freely and feel themselves as citizens of one great land.
Since ancient days people have been very much eager to take to pilgrimages and they used to travel throughout the whole country with great reverence. People from the north used to go to pilgrimage in the south and vice- versa.
Similarly, people from the west went to the east and vice-versa. Thus there has always been a cultural give and take and people considered themselves as citizens of one country. Similarly, some big rivers in the various parts of the country have been regarded as holy and worthy of worship.
The Ganga and Yamuna in the north, Godavari in the middle, Krishna and Kaveri in the south, Sindhu in the west, and Brahmaputra in the east are considered as holy and they are worshipped by the entire people of the land.