44 SOCIAL SCIENTIST multi-national in character. Without such clear thinking on the issue it is neither possible to consciously work for the preservation and strengthening of Indian unity and its integration, nor easy to effectively fight against the forces of disunity and disintegration.23 The concept of national integration also involves a definite cultural policy of the state. Lenin, while analysing the national question in Europe, said that there are two nations in every national culture. To counterpose this fact against another allegedly integral national culture is a facet of bourgeois nationalism. Lenin further said that assimilation and amalgamation of the proletariat of different nationalities is necessary because bourgeois nationalism "drugs the minds of the workers, stultifies and disunites them".22 In order to ensure cultural security to the different minority groups, secularism in the true sense of the word should guide the state's policy. There should be a real separation between religion and state, that is, depriving all the religious communities of any support from public funds, and of all influence on public education; this is not practised in India. At the same time, an attempt should be made to create an atmosphere of tolerance. Unnecessary attacks on religious prejudices which tend to perpetuate the division of the people along religious lines should be avoided. Such a policy requires greater and consistent democracy. The question of national integration is neither one of biological fusion of the various nationalities or communities, nor of maintaining the autonomous communal or regional identities. It is a question vitally connected with the nature of the socio-economic order. The deepest source of religious prejudices '4s poverty and ignorance, and that is the evil we have to contend with", said Lenin. If the economic and social policies of the system lead to concentration of power and deny equality of opportunity to the overwhelming majority of the people belonging to all communities, discord and disharmony are inevitable. In such a system the ruling class has a vested interest in dividing the pepole along communal and religious lines. The problem should be tackled at that level. Without this, high-sounding exhortations and platitudes like "unity in diversity" or "composite culture", will be of little help in achieving the goal of national integration. MOIN SHAKIR* *Profcssor and Head of the Department of Political Science, Marathwad a University, Aurangabad.