India, Nov. 1 -- Why is it that a country united by a civilisation for millennia, has people who at the level of daily life, are so easily divided? Of course, we have also always been a land of differences of opinion, but must this healthy diversity spawn a natural talent for factionalism? There is an old, weary truism that encapsulates our public culture with devastating accuracy: If there are four Indians in a room, they will inevitably form two rival groups. This relentless choreography of fission can be seen in the grand arenas of national politics down to the petty fiefdoms of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), sports bodies, culture and clubs.

To understand this endemic fractiousness, we must honestly examine our own character. ...