HOW INTEGRITY AND UNITY ARE CONTRIBUTING IN A COMBINED MANNER TO THE NATION

By Riek Lang Met

We may call it  a parody of the proverb or the saying. Whatever it is termed, my aim is to convey the message as to how integrity and unity are contributing in a combined manner to the national is significantly stated that, both unity national integration play a vital role for solid foundation of nationalism, secularism, socialism and democracy. National integrity is part and parcel of modernization. The other name of national integration is also political integration.

Political integration is a process through which the different groups are brought under a common unit of geography in the prospect of culture, civilization and socialization. In short, it is a combined process of different opinions, concepts and philosophies. Prof. Nazrul Islam says that declaration of unified thoughts for national interest is national integration. Prof. S. P. Huntington also says that when people works together to attain a common objective of development, removing all the narrowness from peoples mind is termed as national integration. In different countries of the world national integration is facing some problems. All the struggles of integration can never be met. If there is a total solution of all the problems then there will prevail a heavenly state in the world.

The term unity or national intimacy goes together so as to from one whole to combine a whole. We all know the very proverb 'unity is strength'. The sense of intimacy is very influencing as determinant or catalyst in our family life as well as social and national life. In the primitive age, men were alone. They did not understand society and they were very helpless at that time. In the early stage of civilization men could realize that, without social life men cannot survive. So, they were united and organized. Men could understand that, without unity or national intimacy, no nation can survive. However, we as citizen of South sudan are enjoying the charms of national intimacy and integration in full or partial. By this time, we have passed 21 years from liberation and South Sudan is going to celebrate its glory or 9 years of birth anniversary. The people of South sudan had a dream that by establishing an independent state the country will be economically solvent. It is time to calculate how far we have come till today. After 2 years we have become a lower mid level earning country and from graduation to a developing country there is a possibility of achieving mid level earning country by 2021 and we have a targeted plan to be a developed country by 2041. There are many things that contribute to the overall development of a country. But it is the national intimacy that can help to promote a country. Whether our future south Sudan  will be well structured or will have a well arranged and disciplined Nation it will depend on our national intimacy.

National intimacy is essential for every state National intimacy and unity can make us problem free. It can also remove any crisis, economic deficiencies, illiteracy and poverty and ultimately a country leads to a self reliant and positive state. It is to bear in mind that if a country is economically sound then we call it a welfare state. Until we are economically sound, a country can never be a welfare state. There are many states in the world that have fallen and again there are many states that are becoming powerful day by day. The national intimacy and unity and integration are the relevant things which are the source of states’ power. We have seen that the then Pakistan failed to maintain integrity and unity and virtually Pakistan lost its eastern part. The erstwhile Soviet Union had their fatal situation to maintain and protect its federal states. All the federal states were broken to pieces. In our country we have no such fatal problems of national intimacy or unity. But we cannot say that it is totally absent. The tribal people are raising the problems that they are from different race and they belong to an ethnic group with less percentage of social privileges. So the peace tribal treaty is yet standing as a problem of national intimacy and unity. Sometimes they raise the voice of their protest that the tribal peace treaty is yet to be settled. Time has come that by maintaining individuality of the small racial groups we may come under a banner of political community for which all the 64 crore people of south Sudan  can take pride and pleasure.

Again we may remember that by national intimacy, all the people of a country cannot give their consensus verdict in any particular issue. It is found nowhere in the world. If majority are sensitized in a particular issue it is assumed that national intimacy is maintained. The fact is that during our liberation, all the people were not pro-liberation. In 2010 election, SPLM won the monopoly victory. It does not mean that there were absences of anti SPLM party in the country. In the election about 30 percent of population or more or less voted for SPLM. The oppositions had no seats but a percentage of people mandated them by votes. It is correct to say that the number of direct and indirectly opponents of liberation war was nearer to the said figure but majority took their side in favour of liberation war. So unity concept does not mean a total inclusive concept. It is true that no consensus can be taken place with the opponents. It takes place only with the like and pro-liberal minded. Among the political parties the national intimacy is found absent on many issues. Though it is seldom found, they hesitate to make it effective. But whatever the concepts or think tanks are there in political parties, everybody should protest or want to defeat the nasty and dirty social evils like terrorism, illegal land occupancy, drug addiction, the Rohingya crisis. On these issues, nobody can patronise such issues as destroy our nation building thoughts and citizenry dutifulness.

The issues fundamentalism and terrorism jeopardize the national interest and all the progressive thoughts are humiliated. So in no way, these issues should be organized or activated. So, social movement or campaign is a must to deter drug addiction and anti-drug drive and campaign must be enforced for nation's future safety. Personal greed, jealously and distortion of human values are the propositions and instigating agents from which terrorism is created.At least everybody irrespective of parties should be united for nation building activities. On the concept of national development we must forget all discriminations and come to a platform of single umbrella. History says that all the sixty four tribes( 64) that compose south Sudan  all together knocked the enemies and defeated there.

The writer is a student at the University of Juba.  He is reachable via Telephone : 0915876355 or Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.