ON occasion, most recently in the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with pride about the diversity of India. It is, indeed, wide-ranging in all dimensions: from the geography, climate, flora and fauna to — most importantly — the people. In the last aspect, we are probably amongst the most diverse countries in the world, with diversity in every element that one can think of: be it ethnicity, race, religion, language, cuisine, culture, caste, couture, income, or education. It is this people diversity that the PM was alluding to, one presumes.
And it is this that needs to be recognized, showcased and celebrated. Through the variety of art forms, dress, and foods, as in so many other ways, this diversity not only enriches our culture but is, in fact, at the core of what constitutes “Indianness”. Be it Kashmiriyat or the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb in the North; or the composite intermingling of cultures in Kerala; or the international flavour of Goa (Indo-Portuguese) and Puducherry (Indo-French) — these and so many other cultures brought here over the centuries by traders, immigrants, and invaders make India a unique amalgam of plurality. Attribute this to India’s exceptional ability to learn, absorb, adapt, and integrate, thereby enriching and differentiating local cultures.
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ON occasion, most recently in the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with pride about the diversity of India. It is, indeed, wide-ranging in all dimensions: from the geography, climate, flora and fauna to — most importantly — the people. In the last aspect, we are probably amongst the most diverse countries in the world, with diversity in every element that one can think of: be it ethnicity, race, religion, language, cuisine, culture, caste, couture, income, or education. It is this people diversity that the PM was alluding to, one presumes.