Many Indians think secularism is under challenge in our country. That may or may not be so, but it is clear that the American and European models are under some strain. Perhaps this has to do with the millions of Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and others that make up the sizeable immigrant communities in Western countries — a phenomenon that practically didn’t exist half a century ago.

That has led to controversies about the very meaning of secularism. Witness the brouhaha about veils, bindis, turbans and the like in many Western democracies. These controversies have led to deviations from the secular model as it existed when the populations of those countries were almost entirely Christian. Just a few days ago, the Transportation Safety Authority of the US took a more India-like approach and decided to make optional the earlier mandatory patting down of Sikh turbans during airport security checks, something unthinkable in the aftermath of 9/11. So perhaps India has more to teach the world than just how to write computer codes or answer telephones.

And what of game theory, that branch of applied mathematics and economics where strategies are devised to maximise returns: can it be utilised to negotiate more stable coalitions? From my experience at Yale, I got the distinct impression that, knowingly or not, it already is. Very few Indian politicians are versed in the theory of it (although there are now several younger MPs who might have covered it when they had their Ivy League education). But, clearly, years of ‘coalition dharma’ has already honed our practical skills.

... contd.