Understanding Diversity CBSE Class 6 Civic Chapter 1 Notes

Textbook	NCERT
Board	CBSE Board, UP board, JAC board, HBSE Board, Bihar Board, PSEB board, RBSE Board, UBSE Board
Class	6th Class
Subject	Civic\| Political Science \| Social Science
Chapter	Chapter 1
Chapter Name	Understanding Diversity
Topic	Understanding Diversity CBSE Class 6 Civic Chapter 1 Notes
Medium	English
Especially Designed Notes for	CBSE, ICSE, IAS, NET, NRA, UPSC, SSC, NDA, All Govt. Exam

Understanding Diversity

Human beings are quite different from each other.
This is because of the different styles in which they present themselves.
Not only do they look different but they might speak different languages, hail from different cultural backgrounds, practise different religious rituals etc.

Diversity’ means the differences in religion, caste, languages, living style, professions etc.
- Despite having diverse cultures, languages, types of food, festivals and religions, many things that are similar except that we do them in different ways.
In early times many people came to India, in search of people to trade with, or new lands.
- Many others came because at their place there were drought and famines because of which they could not get enough to cat.
When they settled down here they started to change a little and also retain some of their own cultures.
- The intermixing of cultures led to new and different cultures.
- History also shows how different cultures influence human beings for their growth. Diversity exists when people adapt their lives to the geographical area in which they live .
For example living near the sea is quite different from living in a mountainous area.
- Diversity in India can be better understood through the examples of two different regions such as Ladakh and Kerala.

Ladakh is a desert in the mountains of the Eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir where very little agriculture is possible.
- It is because this region does not receive any rain and is covered with snow for most part of the year.
- There are very few trees that can grow in the region.
- For drinking water, people depend on the melting snow during the summer months.
The main occupation of the people of Ladakh is sheep-rearing and they produce pashmina wool.
- Pashmina shawls are chiefly woven in Kashmir.
Being a desert did not mean that the region did not attract the traders.
- Ladakh was considered a good trade route because it had many passes through which caravans travelled to Tibet.
- The caravans traded textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets etc.
- In Ladakh mostly Muslims and Buddhist people live and they sing and perform the Kesar Saga, a local version of the Tibetan national epic.
- Ladakh is also known as Little Tibet.

Kerala is located in the South-West corner of India.
- It is surrounded by the sea on one side and hills on the other side.
- On the foothills of Kerala’ a number of spices such as – pepper, cloves and cardamoms etc are grown.
- These spices attracted the traders.
- Therefore, many travellers came such as the Arabs, English etc.
- Because of all the historical influences, people in Kerala practise different religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism etc.
Here the main occupation is fishing.
- The net which is used, looks like the Chinese fishing nets and are called Cheena-vala.
- The utensil which is used for frying fishes is called Cheenachatti and it is believed that the word Cheen could have come from China.
- The famous festival celebrated, in Kerala is Onam.
- The boat race is an important part of this festival.

The history of Kerala and Ladakh are quite different in terms of their geographical features, but both have seen similar cultural influences.
- Both regions were influenced by Arab and Chinese traders.
- It was the geographical condition of both states which allowed for cultivation of spices in Kerala and rearing of sheeps for wool in Ladakh.
The cultural diversity is not solely a thing of the past but our present also influences it.
- We move from one place to another in search of better opportunities, with each move, our cultural traditions and way of life slowly become part of the new place we are in.
Similarly in our own neighbourhoods we live close to people from various communities.
- Our daily lives are about the ways in which we do things together and listen to stories about each other’s lives, customs and traditions.

India has great diversity and thus, the country is a perfect example of unity in diversity, it has been recognised as a source of its strength.
- When the British ruled over India, men and women both participated in the Indian struggle for freedom even though they were from different religions, cultures, caste etc.
- Songs and symbols that represent rich traditional cultures were also used as a symbol of protest against the British by Indians everywhere.
The Britishers did a lot of things to divide Indians, they thought they could divide Indians because they were so different and thus continue to rule them.
- But Indians showed that though they were different, they were united in their fight against the Britishers.
- They worked together to decide joint actions, even they went to jail together and they found different ways to oppose the British.
In Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s book “The Discovery of India’, he says that Indian unity is not something imposed from the outside but rather, “it was something deeper and within its fold, the widest tolerance of belief and custom was practised and every variety acknowledged and even encouraged.
- ” Nehru coined the phrase “Unity in diversity” to describe India.

Diversity The term describes differences in racial or ethnic classifications, age, genders, religion, philosophy, physical abilities, socio economic background, identity or other identifying features.
Unity The state of being united or joined as a whole.