Assertive Religious Identities

As religious chauvinism makes its presence increasingly felt in south Asia, the question of probing this 'legacy of cleaving' assumes greater importance. A recent conference studied various aspects of religious identity, and how identities were shaped and moulded in pre-modern, colonial and independent India. In pre-modern India, identities were fluid, even mutable. However, in more modern times, while attempts are made to 'shape' particular identities, identity itself can be adapted to meet changing circumstances and can sometimes be in the nature of protest.