Why India is different ?

While  reading the Times of India this morning I saw a photograph, which made me smile and feel good about about being an Indian.

The photograph was of a woman covered  entirely in a black burqa except for her eyes. She was carrying a
boy - probably five or six years of age dressed up as the Hindu  God Krishna with his body painted blue and and on his head was a gold colored band with a peacock feather - the popular image associated with Krishna. Obviously they were off to a Janamasthmi celebration . In any other country in South Asia or the Middle East, a fatwa would probably be issued against her.

The New York Times recently had an article about the Golden Temple at Amritsar which talked about non- Sikhs who visit the temple regularly and voluntarily  participate in the cooking and serving the communal meals. The Sikh holy book has quotations and hymns  from both Hindu and Muslim saints  - a fact probably not known to Muslims outside India. Similarly you have people of other religions visiting the Dargha at Ajmer or that of Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi.

This ability to accept foreign cultures and religions, assimilate them and live in tolerance with each other is what makes India so different. Yes we do occasionally have some religious fundamentalist - Hindus, Muslims,Sikhs who  instigated by politicians  try to cause trouble, but overall for the most part we live in harmony, celebrate and participate in each others festivals.

I cannot think of many countries in the world which have senior political, defense personnel or bureaucrats who are of a religion different from that of the dominant population . In India  the President is a Hindu, the Vice President is a Muslim, the Prime Minister is a Sikh and the most powerful person behind the throne is a Christian . The President and the Congress Party Supremo are both females.

No country in the world can beat that !!