Peeling an Onion: A take on India’s “Unity in Diversity”
A bite of the warm maggi and pakoras during the rainy season, the delicious taste of Rogan Josh and of course, the famous street food from the nearby thela: they’re all unique
originating from different state cuisines. What holds them together is our country India, the
menacing instinct to act on cravings and the common ingredient: onion.
The Experiment
An onion is an enigma of sorts. I bought one wanting to call it simplicity from its appearance.
But on the inside, it has multiple layers and is thus much more complex. In India there is
diversity: differences in culture, ethnicities, cuisines and so on….yet in diversity, there exists
only my store bought onion which I decided to name: unity.
Outer layer:Appearance
Pooja garlands are beautiful aesthetic wreaths of scented flowers used during Indian
festivities made up of roses, lilies, frangipani, jasmine and marigolds. Each flower that is
used stands out either with a different scent, use or appearance. Yet when they come together, they become even more enticing and valuable.
This is the perfect example of how pretty diversity can be! All it needs is a sprinkle of trust, a
dash of hope and the prime ingredient of unity.
It’s….
Holi , Diwali, Onam, Lohri, Eid, Christmas, Gurupurab, Ganesh Chaturthi, Easter: the
memories on your social media feed says you were celebrating- God knows what.
But still, thank God you were.
Middle layer: History
In India, traces of unity in diversity have been noticed since ancient times which became even more prominent during and after the Indian struggle.
A perfect example of this is the well known mystic poet and saint: Kabir Das. During his
time, he inspired people to look beyond religious differences, claiming to be a Hindu, a
Muslim, a Sikh and none at the same time. His poetry was a mixture of Hindi, Khari boli,
Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Urdu, Persian and Marwari and was sung by nearby wanderers irrespective of ethnicity or cast.
There is a folklore regarding the poet’s passing away. The Hindus and Muslims were debating on whether his body should be buried or cremated. When they went to bring out the body, they instead found flowers. Each religious group thus took half of the flowers to conduct the last rites as they desired.
Even now, his dohas are sung by all Indians and hold the same value and importance that it
held in the 1500s.
This shows how even art and history contribute greatly to unity in diversity and how
culturally rich our country really is!
The core: The people
We’ve already established how important this whole concept is for us but this clockwork
wouldn’t have been successful if it weren’t for the people of india.
News headlines: A compilation
Delhi: At gurdwara oxygen langar, many Covid patients get a breath of life
Muslim girl in Mumbai wins Gita contest
Cricket: The Unwavering Religion of India
How Kalam converted a church into a space centre
These headlines serve as an inspiration for us to see everyone for who they are. The more
we think about it, the more we understand that diversity has always been there. Mangoes
and apples were always different yet they’re both fruits. Necklaces and rings are different
yet they’re just jewellery. My friend and I are completely different yet we both are humans.
That’s all who we are: people. People are different yet people help people. People understand people. Once we truly understand this then only will we be able to say that we have cracked the core of the onion: the true meaning of democracy.
By: Anusha Dayal
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
