About this quote

Set against the two-nation logic gathering force before Partition, this insists Hindus and Muslims had lived one interwoven life for centuries. Treat two communities as natural enemies and you manufacture the enmity; treat their shared history as real and the bond mostly holds.

When to use it

• A mixed neighborhood keeps its shared festivals and markets alive so no one starts seeing the family next door as a rival tribe.
• A school pairs kids from different backgrounds on projects, and the 'us versus them' chatter quietly fades.
• A workplace refuses to let two departments cast each other as enemies, insisting they share a single goal.