Managing diversity key to national unity, says Vohra

Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Friday said managing diversity and unity were intrinsically linked for a nation. He was speaking during a discussion on a new book, Pluralism in India and Indonesia: Diversity in the Quest for Unity, organised by the India International Centre.

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Vohra said, “The concept of the book is clear — if you cannot manage diversity, you cannot manage unity.”

Citing India as an example, he highlighted its vast population of 1.4 billion, thousands of languages, multiple religions and a deep-rooted history of socio-cultural and socio-religious traditions. Vohra cautioned, “If these foundations are tampered with or exploited and radical ideologies take hold, serious threats will inevitably emerge.”

He emphasised the need to revisit the importance of preserving multiculturalism as a means to safeguard national unity. Vohra, who has served as the Union Home Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, underscored the significance of fostering inclusivity.

Comparing India and Indonesia, he noted that the two nations had historically coexisted in harmony, with cultural and trade linkages dating back 2,000 years. However, these ties were disrupted by colonialism, leading to a decline in maritime, cultural and religious exchanges.

Vohra was joined on the panel by Indonesia’s Ambassador to India Ina Krisnamurthi, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and Prof Shankari Sundararaman, Chairperson of the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies at the JNU.

Sundararaman elaborated on the book’s themes, explaining that one chapter explores why India adopted “Panchsheel” as a guiding principle for its existence. Another section examines the deep cultural and historical connections between India and Indonesia, citing the link between Bali and Kalinga (modern-day Odisha). She noted that the book traces the trajectories of both nations as post-colonial states, emphasising their strong pluralistic ethos shaped by centuries of civilisational exchange.

Krisnamurthi said, “India and Indonesia share 2,000 years of values and culture. Both nations are bound by a common quest for unity in diversity.”