Examining Indian Diversity: Case For An Index Based Intervention

Abstract

India is a land of diversity. The very concept of Indianness since time immemorial has rallied around stitching the diversity through a thread of unity. Unlike European nationalism Indian one is not planked on any single identity of say language. (Sen A 2006) The heterogeneity of language, culture, religion, ethnicity, caste and creed has beautifully woven the Indian social fabric. Like biodiversity this typical Indian social diversity is also a resource which needs to be preserved, practised and promoted. The greatest strength of the largest democracy in the world is also its plural society. This eternal truth about the Indian civilization was perhaps best captured by Rabindranath Tagore in his Bharat Tirtha (The Indian Pilgrimage) when he chanted: