Hindu Indian Army. The three words had stumped me when they leapt out of an article written by an Indian Muslim colleague at an earlier place of employment in the context of Kashmir. But for the sheer audacity of factual misrepresentation, what was more alarming was the writer’s obvious mindset. Despite the idea of India as a secular nation that we cherished and celebrated, the three words underlined the chasm that festered within India's two major communities and spoke volumes about the distrust that have come to define Hindu-Muslim ties.
Though we loathe acknowledging it publicly, we have learnt to make peace with the ironies internally. Our collective hopes for cricketing success squarely rest on Mohammed Shami's shoulders every time he charges in to castle the opponent. We are fanatical in our loyalty to Bollywood’s three endearing Khans. We are immensely proud of such icons as our past president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Yet, many dither when it comes to renting our houses to a Muslim. There are those who love their biryanis and other culinary delights, but are largely suspicious of their faith, culture and nationalist credentials. Many Muslims, as the former Kashmiri colleague's article testified, distrusted us equally.
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