India as a multicultural polity has adopted the institutional forms of constitutionalism and the Rule of law, although its society, economy and history are very different from that of the countries where these forms originated. Pathologies pertaining to the functioning of these institutional forms pose serious problems in all countries where primordial cultural and ethnic identities of different groups are being revived and asserted. ‘Unity in Diversity‘, an oft-repeated aspiration in India, seeks to accommodate differences within a frame work of shared basic values and common interests. Such a framework requires the conviction that unity is best fostered by tolerating diversity, that dissenting views should freely coexist with the dominant values of society, and interaction among diverse peoples, ethnic and religious groups, cultures and sub cultures is a positive force for creativity innovation and change.
