National Integrity is the principle of oneness or unity in which citizen and government both are responsible enough for not dividing the country, but maintaining the whole. If there is national integrity, country comes first than the self.
There is equal role to be played by government and communities both in a nation for maintaining national integrity. The two major role to be played by community or citizens for maintaining it can be explained as below:
- Sense of give and take: Community people should always realize that we are social by nature and we can exist if we possess the sense of giving and taking. They should learn to live in reciprocal. They should maintain unity in diversity so that to create harmonious society. Unless and until they do not live together as brothers and sister, it's difficult to maintain national integrity. If the citizens or community people developing feeling of hatred to each other, there is chance of conflict which would create civil war. In course of time, it may break the unity; endanger the sovereignty, thereby dividing a country into pieces.
- Nation is above all (Sense of patriotism): Community people must develop the sense of nationalism and patriotism. They must consider themselves not greater than their nation. “If Remains Nation, then Remain Me” should be their prime consideration. If this happens, the national integrity can be maintained and single nation can be imagined. Otherwise, the bond between the citizens and the nation breaks up into pieces and pieces which can neither be joined nor ignored. So, citizens or community people should kill their personal interest and sing the saga of “My country, My pride” with glory for the sake of nation and nationality to boost up national integrity.
Just like the community people, government should also play the following roles to maintain national unity:
- Balance development: Government should develop all parts of the country equally so that people feel that they belong to the nation. If there is no proportionate development, the people feel like discriminated. Some would enjoy maximum luxury and infrastructures whereas some other strives for it throughout their life. This ignites the sense of humiliation to them. Thus, they can go against national sovereignty endangering national integrity or oneness. The deprived citizens may demand for the separate state of their own which may divide the country. But if all the parts of a country are equally developed, all citizens feel content and happy. They automatically develop the sense of patriotism which would support for wholeness of the nation.
- Equal distribution of means and resources: This is one of the roles that government must play for the promotion of national integrity. The available means and resources should be equally distributed or divided among all people in a nation if this does not happen, some people may raise their voice and arm against nation and its governing body. This may consequently lead into civil war threatening the national sovereignty and integrity.