The term social is
associated with society.
Society is a number of people knit together by a common factor- Humanity.
Integrity in general
is oneness, togetherness, completeness of the
society. Therefore, integrity starts with the human, and moves to
humanity, and then on to society, changing by a large margin at every
stage.
A superficial view of
social integrity is the smooth functioning of
society without any barriers.
However, this is an
ideal situation and so impossible to achieve
completely. The situation might keep improving, but that’s about it.
The barriers which
tower over all others, and keep relentlessly
mutilating social integrity are, Religion, which gives rise to
communal hatred.
The caste system, which gives rise to discrimination.
Religion and caste
are concepts which can not be altered. They have
been fed into the people much before they could understand anything
else.
To a lot of people, faith and religion are motivating forces, positive
energies which drive them on.
Pillars which support them, and hands to push them forth.
People of the same
faith exist in discrete circles, or in sub-societies.
Geographically or occupation-wise, they may vary, but at heart they
are the same. That is why, irrespective of where they live or what
they do, a Hindu is always a Hindu. A Christian is always a Christian
and so on.
Most humans wear the
caste mask. Either they do not want to remove it,
or they can not. Either way, they don’t.
Why should they
remove the mask, which defines them, and places them
aptly in the society? Their fathers, have worn it, and have passed on.
Their fathers’ fathers have worn it, and have passed on. Why not them?
Most backward castes
or classes are financially downtrodden. Doesn’t
their caste indicate their financial status? Yes, they are low. So
what if they are low?
Existing with only the bare necessities of life is saintly, yes, Ascetic.
People ask me to try
it then. They ask me, if I can live like the
beggar on the street with just the bare necessities. I cannot do it. I
can not live like that. I have not been groomed to live that way. The
man on the street, he does it. He can and does exist with almost
nothing, and i envy him for it.
That is the
difference between him and me. That is the difference
between humans-and humans.
Therefore, Social
Integrity is a lost cause. It cannot be achieved.
But arming ourselves with optimism and effort, we can better it. Work
towards it. It’s like working towards infinity. (Infinity and beyond,
to quote a cliché)
Though we are all of
different religions, the essence is the
same- faith.
Though we are all of different castes, the essence is the same-humanity.
Let us embrace our
faiths, wear our caste masks, and prey on the fact
that we are all one- The Fragments of Humanity.