The End of India

by Khushwant Singh

Germany was a literate nation and yet succumbed to the most irrational sort of racial prejudice. We are largely illiterate and it is much easier to sway our masses by rousing their basest instincts. Distort facts, inject dollops of pride in your own race and religion, and prejudice and contempt for that of others, and you have a witches’ brew of hate which can be easily brought to a boil. We saw how Bhindranwale succeeded in winning over the Sikh masses by preaching hate. We are now witness to the same kind of preaching of hate on a national scale. The Nazis had Jews and Gypsies as their targets. Our fascists have all religious minorities as theirs.