I am appalled at the discrimination faced by the writer in Mumbai, which is hailed as the most developed, cosmopolitan city in India. Getooisation is a reality in many parts in India. Living In Gujarat, I can vouch for that. Here too, members of non-hindu communities are refused houses in housing societies. Muslims are a strict no-no. If Christians want to buy a house, after much persuasion, they are allowed, if they give in writing that they wont have non-vegetarian food. Christians living in these societies are kept out of social functions. Though this can attributed to only a minority of Hindus, the secular majority often follow suit in order not to displease the powerful lobby . Is this the "unity in diversity' that we often harp about? We are on the threshold of becoming an economic superpower. If such mindets continue to persist, can we sustain a viable progress? The recent reservation controversy is similarly regressive. India can become a power to reckon with only if we leave aside these petty issues and work together towards progress.
