Unity is Strength
Essay # 1
The above maxim indicates the wisdom of unity. Unity is strength, and division is the weakness of folly. By union, the smallest states thrive, by discord the greatest are destroyed.
By calling to mind the fable of the old man who demonstrated, with the help of sticks, to his quarrelsome sons that strength lies in unity. The wisdom of this tenet can help us formulate our approach to the problems that face us.
If the whole nation is united, there is very little likelihood of any country daring to attack it, proving that union is strength. If, on the other hand, the people quarrel among themselves, and continue to do so in the face of adversity, we can never think of putting up a joint front against the enemy.
Believe it or not, in the animal world, animals help each other in the face of danger. When one senses danger lurking nearby, he immediately indicates to the other creatures the threat of impending peril.
In every walk of life, we find that it is our unity that gives us strength. A united family is respected in the eyes of others; there is a feeling of deep bonding among the family members.
There is a lot of talk on national integration and the one-world state. Such a likelihood seems very remote with so many nations warring with each other. There is in-fighting among members in the parties for the seat of power. On the other hand, the once-divided Germany has reunited, as also South and North Yemen. In India, national integration alone can lay the foundation of a strong, united, and prosperous India, especially in these days of extremism and terrorism.
Recent experiences teach us that all disruptive forces need to be attacked and tackled determinedly in a united and collective way. Mahatma Gandhi sacrificed his life for communal unity. Though there are Bengalis, Punjabis, Maharashtrians, Tamilians, etc., in our country, the fact remains that regardless of divisions and distinctions, caste or creed, we have lived together for thousands of years. That sense of unity has to be re-awakened.
Unfortunately, today there seems to prevail disunity that hinders national harmony in India. Most of the time there are quarrels between Hindus and Muslims, and sometimes other communities too clashed with each other. Social and economic inequalities are another contributing factor. The absence of a truly and widely acceptable common national language has made national unity difficult. There can be no bonds of unity among citizens living in various parts of the country as long as there are riots, murders, and killings. There is a need for unity and commitment not to a party, not to a particular person but to the nation as a whole. We must forge strong and durable links to create national unity to avoid disastrous consequences.
Union is Strength
Essay # 2
- Aesop’s Fable.
- True in games.
- In schools or town committees.
- In armies.
- “One heart, one way.”
One of Aesop’s Fables tells a story of an old man who was troubled because his sons were always quarreling. He was afraid that the family would be quite broken up when he died. So one day he called his sons together, and showed them a bundle of sticks, and asked them to break them for him. They tried in turn, but, though they were strong, all of them failed. Then he untied the bundle and told them to break each stick by itself. This they did easily. In this way, he taught them that union is strength. If they held together as one family, they would be strong; but if they quarreled and separated, they would be weak.
Take a football or hockey team. If the members of the team play together and help each other, they will form a strong team. But if they are split up into parties, when they play in a match some will play badly or lazily because they are jealous of the others, and the team will lose the match.
Sometimes a school or a college is spoilt because the members of the staff, or the committee, are divided; and while they are quarreling, the work is neglected, and the college or school goes down. Often a whole town suffers because they looking after the streets, buildings, hospitals, and water supply spend their time calling each other names.
The same is true in war. A large army, whose officers hate each other and do not work together, has been beaten by a smaller united army. That is why the great French general, Napoleon, used to say, “Divide and Conquer.” He won some of his great victories by attacking one of his enemies when alone before the others could come up to help; or he would weaken a whole nation by dividing it up into quarreling parties.
A united nation, a united family, a united society of any kind, is strong. United they stand, divided they fall. Their motto must be, “One heart, one way.”
