Written by, May 29 -- Paresh Malakar

India is no longer the India we once knew. It has quietly become an undeclared Hindu Rashtra. We feel this truth most poignantly during Eid, Muharram, and Christmas. Days before Bakri Eid, rumours and threats begin to circulate.

This year, a friend and I accepted Eid invitations from two Muslim households. In one home, we were served fragrant mutton biryani. In the other, they offered sheera-dahi and an array of sweets. As we were leaving, the head of the family proudly showed us their newly built house. Inside, I saw his three sons eating, but the atmosphere was subdued and heavy.

The joy that should have filled the air was missing. And it wasn't just that one house - this quiet unease now hangs ov...