In 1947, when India got independence, the country was divided in two in accordance with the two-nation theory proposed by Mohammed Ali Jinnah. He claimed that Hindus and Muslims were separate nations sharing only a geographical region. It is well-known that this thought was a result of the divide-and-rule policy which was conscientiously followed by the British rulers. However, in spite of stiff opposition from most nationalists, this division took place; and the father of Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, said that it was like tearing his heart apart. Hindus from Pakistan were forced to migrate to India, and many Muslims from India moved to Pakistan. This migration of immense scale marked one of the most tragic and violent chapters in the history of the sub-continent.

But past is past; let us shift our focus to the present. What did we achieve from this exercise? It is history that Pakistan could not remain one nation in spite of the common religion of its citizens. Bengal and Punjab were more different from each other than either Punjabs or Bengals on the two sides of Indian border.Thus Pakistan, which was formed on the basis of Muslim brotherhood, split into two nations on either side of India. If this is not enough, then look into today’s Pakistan and we see that the Sunnis and Shias there have much more animosity towards each other than, say, the Hindus and Muslims of India. It leaves me in no doubt, that if Pakistan were to be split into a Shia country and a Sunni country today, each of these countries will again have enough internal strife.

This, I say, is human nature. We are all different from each other. We have a natural tendency to gang up with those who are less different from us, against those who are more different. The basis of these formations is based more on distrust of another group than any similarity or unity within themselves. It is in the face of a common enemy (real or imaginary) that we unite. If it weren’t for their common hatred for Nazi Germany, Russia and USA could never have joined hands. When the common enemy disappears, or is eventually vanquished, then the alliance starts to rethink the logic of its formation. This process happens at every level of human interaction, and is perhaps the most fundamental rule of our social behaviour. Problems arising out of this human tendency cannot be addressed by dividing society based on these supposed differences, because it would then be a never-ending process like splitting a magnet with the intention of making it uni-polar. No matter how many times you divide a magnet, it will still have two poles; and if there aren’t two poles, then it is not a magnet anymore. Similarly, for society to exist, it is important for diversity to be alive in it. This principle of unity in diversity is the foundation of the Indian Nation.