Traversing Troy: Defining Diversity

On my morning walk to the bus stop, I pass many Hindu temples, multiple mosques, and several Christian churches representing various denominations. Flipping through the channels on my TV, I can hear programming in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, and English (not to mention the international channels from Japan, Australia, Germany, etc.). Limited to the English programming, I can still listen to the musing of a Hindu guru, the evangelizing of a Christian preacher, or the philosophizing of a Jain monk.

These daily experiences underscore the incredible diversity that defines India. The second most populous nation on earth, with 1.1 billion people, India must also be one of the most diverse (surely in terms of diversity per square mile if nothing else). The country offers divergence across almost every category: ethnicity, race, language, religion, dress, food, climate, geography, education level, caste, income, holidays, and even seasons. Some sources claim 2,000 or more ethnic groups reside in the country spanning several different races. Although most people picture Gandhi when they think of the typical Indian, those in the northeast are Mongoloid in appearance and might easily be mistaken for Chinese, while some here in the south are darker than my African friends (for more information on race in India, see here). According to Wikipedia, there are 415 living languages in India, with about 216 being spoken by groups of 10,000 or more. There are 15 official languages with the national language, Hindi, being the primary language of only about 41% of the people and nearly non-existent here in the south. Cuisine also varies by region (north, south, east, and west) as well as being split nationally between veg and non-veg diets (several apartment complexes in Chennai allow only vegetarian residents). India is home to some of the richest people in the world as well as some of the poorest on the planet. Just over one-third the size of the U.S., India is also very diverse geographically, spanning freezing cold mountainous regions as well as humid, tropical areas. Even the seasons are different depending on the area of the country in which you find yourself; it is monsoon season here; however, Delhi and Kerala experienced their monsoon seasons months ago.

Some places in the U.S. are also very diverse in terms of inhabitants; in New York or Boston you can find people from every country, representatives of most ethnicities, and adherents of nearly all belief systems. However, the U.S. is characterized by individual diversity. India exemplifies group diversity. Although Hindus account for 80% of the population, large, concentrated pockets of Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians (as well as Zoroastrians (Parsis), Jews, and Bahais to a lesser extent) can have a substantial impact on the peace and stability of regions and the country. Further, unlike in the U.S. where it is often impossible to determine if a given person is religious or not through casual acquaintance, religious iconography is everywhere here, constantly proclaiming differences.

It is true that this diversity sometimes results in conflict as illustrated in several recent examples. Violence continues in Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorist blasts in Delhi and several other cities hint at tensions between Hindus and Muslims which bubble up to cloud relations with Pakistan. In the past few months, the national media has reported on the vandalism and even destruction of Christian churches in Orissa and Karnataka and the forcible conversion of some practitioners to Hinduism (the LDS church has no presence in Orissa, but two LDS missionaries were arrested in Bangalore two months ago). Populous politics, Maharashtrian nationalism, and xenophobia have combined in Mumbai as a regional politician (Raj Thakre) called for immigrants from other Indian states (especially Bihar) to go home and stop taking jobs from locals. His recent arrest sparked riots in the city.

However, the newsworthiness of these incidents highlights the fact that, for the most part, the diverse peoples of India get along surprisingly well. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians are neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Any given person may stop by the Hindu temple each day to receive a mark on the forehead before going to work, leave work Friday afternoon to attend prayers at the Muslim mosque, go to one of the many Christian churches Sunday morning, or attend no religious services at all. Mutual respect and tolerance allow many very different groups of people to form one vibrant nation. Diversity does not necessarily mean divisiveness. Nor does it have to lead to dilution of ideals. On the contrary, for me comparisons and contrasts often reveal new and profound ways of understanding and practicing my own culture and traditions. I am inspired by the concept of ahimsa (non-violence) taught in Hinduism, the reverence for the Almighty demonstrated by Muslims, and the closeness to God exemplified by many of my Jewish friends. The genius of God in creating such a diverse world is incomprehensible. Not only is it immensely more beautiful and less dull than a monolithic, uniform world would have been, but what better way could He have devised to ensure our continual learning and progression? We often learn the most when we are presented with ideas or situations very different from our own which challenge our current understanding.

Murals such as these, displaying symbols of various religions side by side, can be found throughout the city. In this one, Christ is followed by Islamic symbols, and the Hindu Ganesh.