NATIONAL INTEGRATION
The most urgent Objective of National Guidance is “to build Pakistan into a well- knit nation". This is, in fact, the biggest problem before the country. The Study Group devoted considerable time to the examination of the question and came to the following conclusions:
(a) The problem of national integration is not peculiar to Pakistan. Most countries have had to face it at various stages of their normal history, and some seemingly well- knit countries (e.g. Canada) have even now got it in some form, Pakistan has some very special difficulties in this connection, due to the geographical situation of East and West Pakistan and existence of strong linguistic groups in West Pakistan, but it has also certain strong counteracting positive forces, and during the last 11 years some progress has been made in several directions.
The position, however, is far from happy even now, and reopening of constitutional and other controversial questions, unless these are handled with the greatest care, will have an unseuling effect, and major efforts are needed to make Pakistan a well-knit nation. The issues are partly political, but the “Group" is of opinion that the limited success achieved so far has also been due to the absence of well coordinated and comprehensive arrangements to deal with the problem. There has been plenty of empty slogan-mongering without a well-planned and sustained effort to face and solve the problem on a methodical basis. The “Group", for example, is not aware of any organization, within the Government of Pakistan which gives the question detailed attention, and studies the steps which have been taken in other countries, e.g. U.S.A... U.S.S.R. and bilingual or tri-lingual states like Switzerland and Belgium to weld heterogeneous elements into a harmonious whole.
(b) The Group believes that the building of Pakistan into a well-knit nation will need an all-out effort on the part of the entire Government organization, but it should be made one of the principal responsibilitics of three Ministries of the Central Government Interior, Education and Information and Broadcasting, and they should take well- coordinated and effective steps to achieve the same.
(c) The Group further recommends the immediate setting up of an organization on the lines of the Canadian Citizenship Department, which is entrusted with a similar task in regard to “assimilation of different ethnic. linguistic, and cultural groups of the people in Canada into an integrated Canadian nation". This organization should carry on research in psychological, cultural, linguistic and other problems, which have a bearing on national integration in Pakistan. It should study regional cultures and group habits in different parts of the country, and the causes of inter-group and inter- regional tensions, and should suggest measures to resolve them. It should have carefully selected psychological and other experts in charge of its researches, and their conclusions should provide a basis for suitable action by the different departments of Government. The “Group" recommends that the newly organized Burcau of Reconstruction should be entrusted with this work, and should utilizc existing agencies for implementation of its findings.
