What does unity truly mean in a world shaken by terrorism?

Indian Express

04-05-2025

UPSC Ethics Simplified draws attention to topics related to applied ethics, especially those making headlines. Recently, UPSC has been focusing on contemporary issues and posing ethical questions to candidates. In the past, we have examined pollution, war, sports, finance, international relations, bureaucracy and judiciary through the lens of ethics. Today, Nanditesh Nilay, who writes fortnightly for UPSC Essentials, addresses another pressing issue—unity and brotherhood in times of adversity, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks.'
Let's begin this reflection on unity by drawing from the world of sports—a realm where collaboration and togetherness often transcend national boundaries. When Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal and stood on the podium for the national anthem, a moment captured by the cameraman during the medal ceremony touched hearts around the world. Later, when he called over his opponent, it was as if the opponent had been waiting for that very gesture. Neeraj Chopra posed on camera, offering a powerful message: if the effort is made, even rivals can represent love, respect, and friendship. This is what India's value system advocates.
But has the world of today failed in that brotherhood?
That unity was shattered when terrorists brutally attacked innocent tourists in Pahalgam. Asking about their religion, the victims were killed in cold blood. As Shakespeare wrote, 'What is the city but the people?' —and with this violence, something vital was lost in Kashmir.
When people die due to reasons other than health or national security—when they are killed because of identity—the place, its significance, and the lessons of human life learned even during the COVID-19 pandemic are all diminished. India has been a victim of terrorism but this time it was brutal than that the country has seen in the recent past.
Let's bring in more examples of how this human unity is being shattered across the world. Hamas's brutal killings in Israel, followed by Israel's relentless bombing of Gaza; the unending war between Russia and Ukraine; the persecution of Buddhist groups and Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Yet, in this increasingly divided world of violence and discrimination, India has not abandoned its principles. India extended its hand in peace to Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, and Bangladesh.
After all, peace and harmony are the essence of true liberation. To be free means to live in a world where tradition breathes love, not hatred. And yet, incidents like Pahalgam challenge this spirit. India now treads a careful path—defending its people, confronting terrorism, and striving to preserve the sacred fabric of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
Because terrorism doesn't carry values—it carries hate and bullets. And we must remain vigilant against any force that attempts to weaken the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb —the shared cultural heritage of India.
On 26th January 1930, as India observed its first Independence Day, the people stood solemn and united. And in 1947, when the tricolour was unfurled across a newly independent nation, an unparalleled camaraderie bloomed—whether in big cities or in the hill town of Shillong, where four young men, Hindu and Muslim alike, hoisted the flag of a free India.
Indian philosophy places the highest importance on intuitive knowledge and collective welfare. The ancient ideal of 'Bahujana sukhaya, bahujana hitaya' —for the happiness and welfare of the many—defined the spirit of India.
Seventy-seven years after independence, India continues to illuminate the world with the wisdom of Swami Vivekananda. According to him, spirituality is the soul of Indian culture. It is a way of life aimed at the ultimate goal: realisation of the Supreme Spirit.
He said, 'The individual's life is in the life of the whole, the individual's happiness is in the happiness of the whole; apart from the whole, the individual's existence is inconceivable—this is an eternal truth and is the bedrock on which the universe is built.'
The Indian Constitution enshrines the principle of human dignity —unquestionable, uncompromising, overriding, and supreme. This dignity is foundational to the country's pursuit of peace and prosperity.
The spirit of unity is also a philosophical legacy. The dignity of every individual aligns with Kantian ethics, which states that a person must never be treated merely as a means to an end. From Heraclitus and Descartes to Fichte, philosophers have long contemplated the unity of the self and the absolute.
When Swami Vivekananda began his speech with 'Brothers and Sisters of America,' he wasn't merely addressing an audience—he was voicing India's spiritual doctrine of Advaita, or nondualism, and reaffirming the nation's commitment to unity in diversity.
We opened the article by remembering the times of victory. Cut two: at the most recent Olympics, Neeraj Chopra may have missed the gold—but he did not miss what truly matters: grace, humility, and unity.
His mother's words embodied this spirit: 'We are very happy. For us, even silver is equal to gold. The one who won gold is also our own boy. He works hard too.'
That moment was about more than a medal. Neeraj Chopra's identity is not just linked to a javelin or a measured throw—it symbolizes an enduring culture, one that speaks with a single voice:
'We, the people of India.'
And perhaps, that is the message the world most needs to hear.
POST READ QUESTION:
How have recent incidents in India tested the country's unity fabric?
Edited by Manas Srivastava
(The writer is the author of 'Being Good and Aaiye, Insaan Banaen', 'Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness' and 'Kyon'. He teaches courses on and offers training in ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simplified (concepts and caselets) fortnightly.)