How do we truly build unity in diversity?

I had called a young friend yesterday to wish him on his birthday. He is a young officer in one of the para military police forces in India and is currently on posting in Kolkatta.

Of all the trainees in his batch, I have developed a special affinity and bonding with him. He is introverted, soft spoken, focused, loving, alert and duty conscious. We stayed in touch over Whatsapp and that's how I also learnt of how he topped his course in snipping and could one day become an instructor in his academy. On learning this, I used to send him video clips of the best snipper movies.

He even invited me for his wedding two years ago and even though I couldn't go for the wedding I did make it a point to travel to his hometown and wish the newly weds.

It was inspiring to hear his family's story from his mother and how all the three brothers have done well for themselves given where the family came from and the struggles they went through.

Yesterday, we traced our memories from the first time I met him at his training academy in 2016 and he shared with me the different states he has been to as part of his duties - Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and now West Bengal. I was happy to learn that it's a family posting.

I also encouraged him to go for overseas duties to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sri Lanka as soon as he completes 10 years of service.

We spoke a lot about the diversity of India in terms of its culture, languages, food habits and more.

He shared with me his experience in Tamil Nadu where he was on election duty a couple of months ago and where for the first time he was served food on a banana leaf and how interesting it was for him.

We also spoke about our respective comfort with different languages in this country.

I shared with him my view that ideally all schools must aspire to take their children on a visit to as many states of India as possible by the time the children reach the 12th standard and then the students must themselves travel the length and breadth of this country for at least 1 year - learning and serving as they go from 1 state to the other.

Then they must get into any of the armed/ para military forces for 1 year of training and 1 year of service before they join their colleges. Else at least be in the NCC or eventually get into the territorial army.

That exposure and experience will aid their maturity and will help them understand the true meaning of diversity in this country.

And through those different experiences they must also learn to see consciously what's common across the board despite the limitations of language which is at best a barrier to listening but never for understanding.

That will teach them the true meaning of unity in diversity and that's how unity will foster than being imposed from the top.

He couldn't agree more and he invited me to visit him in Kolkatta where he wanted me to see and experience certain things than just have the hearsay knowledge about them.

Most certainly, I said.