But there is something that troubles me even more than the opportunistic policies of political parties: the growing impossibility of practising sarv-dharma-samabhava as the Indian version of secularism. Not only does samabhava mean that the state give all religions equal regard; it also requires that different dharmas have a certain minimum regard for one another.

Such regard did exist once among religious communities. No longer. If at one point of time the Muslim League wanted a Pakistan, in more recent times the Hindutva forces have tried to turn India into an equivalent of Pakistan for the Hindus. We know only too well about the political sentiment in Punjab that would very much like an equivalent of Pakistan for the Sikhs.

I am not trying to run down our neighbouring country. My intention is to draw attention to a particular form of religio-political ideology regardless of the particular community or party that practices it. The ideology has two components: one, since other communities must, of necessity, act in ways that are inimical to us, we must be alert as a community and guard against their malefic designs; two, an essential part of remaining alert is to watch out amongst ourselves for those whose behaviour is suspect, for they might break ranks and betray our cause.

The events that led to the massive tragedy and turmoil of the 1980s had both these components. It did not take this powerful ideology long to sweep aside voices of moderation and sanity. Twenty years later, do I hear the cracking of the ground beneath my feet?

... contd.