India, June 23 -- The growth of hate has been palpable over the years. India, some dozen years back, was messy, yes, but one where the differences were not so pronounced or poisonous. There had been very violent strifes emerging from the experiments of the Hindutva brigade, but the hate had not become the norm. Our neighbours? Pakistan, carved out on religious lines, was already straining at its seams. Sri Lanka was tearing itself apart ethnically. We watched, quietly proud of our chaotic resilience. Diversity wasn't and still isn't our problem.

But things have curdled. The cracks aren't appearing because of our differences; they're being meticulously chiselled open. And the most potent tool in this fracturing isn't poverty or ancient ha...