Dehradun, Feb. 15 -- The people of Bangladesh have truly redeemed themselves. Under pressure from Islamic fundamentalists, who were more organised than ever, they asserted their national (Bengali) identity, stood up for women's rights, and gave a clear mandate to a mainstream political party that can be expected to take the country on the road to economic development and progress. It shows that addressing the basic issues of employment and growth is far more effective in attracting votes than inflammatory ones. Hopefully, the situation for Hindus will also improve, as a result.
There are lessons in this for those in India who are hoping to polarise society on the basis of faith. It is not just the fringe groups feeding off the Hindutva ide...