Unity can be defined as following. When more than one living
creature cooperates with each other sacrificing some of their self interest to achieve
a common and greater interest, we may call them UNITED. The property by which these
creatures stay united is unity.
To become united or achieve unity one thing is a must, and
that is a desire to overcome an obstacle which is common to all the members of a
united body.
We may call this obstacle the common “enemy”.
Let us take an example. A country may become united because
it has a common language or religion or culture which the people of that
country want to preserve and /or expand. France is a country where most of
the people speak a language called French (although slightly differently at its
different regions). They remain united because they want preserve their
language and culture against all common “enemies” who want to overpower or
dominate them. Without this external “enemy” or threat the unity of France will be in danger because people of France
can do whatever they like without remaining united. There is no common self
interest then to remain united. Different parts of France will become like small
countries where there is more homogeneity of language and culture and these
smaller countries will remain united in the common purpose of saving themselves
from other small countries.
Modern India (not the prehistoric India) became united for the purpose of ousting the British from
their soil and remaining united because the people of India has a common enemy
called “other countries”, most notably Pakistan and China. Should these “other
countries” suddenly vanish there is a real danger that India will disintegrate to smaller fragments
like Punjab, Bengal , and Gujarat etc. A
Bengali, a Punjabi and a Gujarati works together to preserve and expand their
common culture and heritage in order to overcome the common obstacle, that is,
the “other countries’.
But the common obstacle is not “other countries” in all the
cases.
Scientists, engineers and industries of different nature
(sometimes at loggerheads at each other) become united at NASA to achieve a
common goal like creating a machine like Curiosity which can land on planet
Mars on its own. The common obstacle here is not a country but nature.
Unity is not limited to human beings .Little insects like
ants become united in the common purpose of lifting and carrying chunks of food
much bigger than themselves. Here also the common enemy is nature which will
destroy little ants if they do not get their food in such a way. Fishes become
united when they are in hunt of food.
That the obstacle or common enemy is essential for unity can
be illustrated most strikingly by the following hypothetical example.
Say, suddenly some other creatures from other unknown planet
attack earth .This will make all countries of earth united against these
aliens. China and United States
will share with each other their jealously guarded defense secrets in the
purpose of defeating these aliens. India
and Pakistan , North and South Korea
will suddenly become friends. But as soon as the aliens are somehow eradicated
the old animosity will begin again.
