In her Independence Day address, President Droupadi Murmu called upon citizens to reaffirm the values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity—the constitutional pillars that anchor our democracy and uphold human dignity. These ideals, she noted, have guided India’s remarkable journey from the depths of poverty at independence to becoming the fastest-growing major economy, marked by inclusive welfare and shrinking inequalities. This moment of reflection reminds us that social unity is an experience where progress, participation, and dignity converge across communities.

Social unity goes beyond the “absence of conflict". It is about fostering a sense of belonging, solidarity, and shared purpose among citizens. It ensures that the lived experiences of different groups are interconnected and that development is not perceived as a zero-sum game where one community’s gain equals another’s loss. Social unity creates an ecosystem that naturally nurtures harmonious relations among people.

The roots of disharmony often lie in historical injustices, discrimination, and perceptions of unfair resource distribution. Even the belief that one’s progress must come at another’s expense builds invisible walls between groups. For true social unity, these barriers must be consciously dismantled. Two pillars are essential to this pursuit: social justice and fraternity.

One way to move........

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