No Place for the Naqaab
India is a very plural Nation-State that allows its citizens to practice their beliefs and subsequent rituals in a reasonably free manner with little interference from the State. While I sing praises of this Nation-State, I have to confess that time and again I, individually, have also been critical of India's structural nuances. Every Nation-State is unique in itself and in their attempt to retain their novelty, they have certain innate traits that are influenced greatly but not limited to, by the history of the particular Nation-State. The problem with such traits though is the fact that they are too idealistic in nature and are rooted in tradition. Interestingly my dilemma today arises from a very minute yet thought-provoking visual of a good number of female school children running, probably because they were late for school, in their school uniform. This, you might think is a very common sight and as was not really of much concern to me. Now what really did catch my eye ...