I am gradually coming to terms with the fact that notwithstanding what is enshrined in our constitution or cherished by free-thinking people, India is not and perhaps will never be a secular country in the true sense of the term. Whatever we thought to be the Indian secularism was based, firstly on the English system of education along with western notions of liberty and justice. Secondly, the impact of the international communist movement on a feudal and colonized country like ours. After seven decades of independence, the effects of both have worn off. Nehruvian socialism - the middle path- represented the combination of both the above factors. But a concerted stream of calumny was always spread against it by vested interests from the far right. This combined with the inherent corruption and resultant ineffectiveness of the PSU system. With the neo-capitalist revival after the "globalization" thrust at the turn of the century the majority of Indians became disillusioned with it.Pandering to communal and sectarian interests to garner votes have always been the most negative feature of Indian democracy. With the passage of time, it has not only perpetuated but morphed into a hydra-headed monster that threatens to strike at the very basis on which our republic stands. Very strangely, the spread of education has not been able to check the rot because in an underdeveloped country like our education fuelled aspirations that were thwarted by the excessive population. The everyday competition to stay ahead of the race has made people so much narrow-minded in general that either they are grabbing what they get in front of them or left blaming others for missing the portion of the pie. And, the number of people being left out is always larger, more so because even those who get something feel that they deserved a better deal. It's a really vicious conundrum.In this atmosphere of resentment, the influence of politicians and the religious leaders to further their interests only vitiate the atmosphere. People are parroted about their identity on religious and caste lines to perpetuate vested interest groups. And the wave of hate that we see around is a direct result of it.