India, Sept. 29 -- India is renowned worldwide for its vibrant religious and cultural diversity. Its festivals-Diwali, Eid, Holi, Christmas, Navratri, Gurpurab, Pongal, and many more-have traditionally served as powerful occasions for uniting communities, transcending linguistic, regional, and religious boundaries.

These festivals once symbolised collective joy, community bonding, and mutual respect among people of various faiths. The celebration of Onam in Kerala by people of different religions is a telling example of a festival that unites individuals across religious and caste divisions.

However, in recent decades, these very festivals-originally meant to foster unity-have increasingly become flashpoints for discord, tension, divisi...