Non academic post, but probably much needed at this hour.
Growing up, we never saw religion while making friends. Some of my best friends have been Muslims and Christians, and I would wait eagerly for Eid and Christmas to celebrate with them and eat the goodies from their house later. They would celebrate Diwali and Holi with equal enthusiasm. In fact, these were the little things that increased our bond and togetherness that holds a neighborhood. When my grandparents passed away, they came home and cried with me, helped with all the processes in the funeral grounds and organised the shraadh after 2 weeks.
This probably sounds very personal but I’m sure having lived in India, each one of us have shared this bond with someone from another religion without even having religion in mind. If upon reading this, a close person from another community comes to your mind, then you too have respected someone from another religion in your life.
What is happening in the country is terrible right now and I wish we’d just take a moment to reflect on how we’ve lived in unity and peace all this while. Please pray for peace and not division. Enough of riots in the name of God.