The author has given only one side of the journey. Has it not happened that Muslim crowds tried to hurt the Hindus? In Mumbai? In Gujarat?
Only of BOTH sides can realise that they have to live like neighbours and still allow the other to be different in customs can we live together.
The author rightly says it is not only on religious grounds that we are split, we are split based on the caste, on the language we speak and anything else that can divide us.
We Indians need to learn to live as Indians first. But we have not yet. Even our constitution recognizes castes and religions. The hearts of the people have to change to accept that we are Indians, we are humans and only then the other classifications follow and those are irrelevant.
Only education can build that acceptance between us and nobody seems to be willing to give the children an education which teaches them that mankind is one, though the underlying message of every religion is the same. We are tied to our customs and lifestyle and feel that, that is the only right and correct way to live life. This leads to estrangement and disillusion.
