UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions: Cultural Pockets of India | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples

Introduction
A nation is a stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, history, ethnicity, or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture. While the idea of small India all over the nation highlights the presence of different and diverse cultures of country. Hence we have cultural pockets of small India all over nation.
Different cultures in the nation: The state of Jammu and Kashmir have cultural pockets of Kashmir and Ladakh. The state of Uttar Pradesh has the people speaking Khari boli, Braj, Awadhi, Urdu, thus depicting cultural pockets of small India. 

• The north eastern states have different cultural pockets based upon tribes, language, practices, tradition. Similarly there are various states based upon languages like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala depicting cultural pockets of small India. Himachal Pradesh has Buddhist and Hindus. We have several tribes, castes living together who tend to practice their own traditions. We have many religions in the parts of our country with people believing in different faiths. 
• The Marwaris, Sindhis, Parsis, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, state people living in different parts of the country. Hence cultural pockets of small India i.e. different cultures present all over the nation. Different nations in the cultures: At the same time we have nations in the cultural pockets of small India. 
• The various communities which lived in the various states form stable and sustainable lifestyle, hence depicting nations. The Khasis, Garo, jaintia tribes are a community formed on basis of common culture. The states like Andhra, Punjab, Gujarat have a stable community based upon common language. 
• The people of North eastern states have common ethnicity. The people of Telangana have common psychological make-up based upon backwardness of state. The Gorkhas have same similar psychological makeup. Hence there are multiple nations in the culture of India. 

Conclusion
Therefore India is a diverse, plural, multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual society with different cultures forming nations and while different nations forming cultures. This has given rise to the sovereign, secular, democratic, republic with unity and integrity, fraternity and dignity of individuals

Topics Covered - Indian Diversity, Pluralism, Ethnicity