Citation

Mahajan G. Polit. Stud. Rev. 2007; 5(3): 317-336.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Political Studies Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1478-9299.2007.00133.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Multiculturalism appears to be under siege in Western liberal democracies. The encounter with organised terrorism has placed a question mark against the multicultural wisdom of recognising and accommodating cultural differences in the public arena. As concerns of national security dominate the post-9/11 world, distinctions between ‘us’ and ‘them’ are surfacing in a way that has prompted some to say that the present war on terror is actually a war on Islam. Will the multicultural ethic survive in this environment? Will states be willing to accommodate cultural diversity and live with the presence of visible differences? The article explores these questions through the lens of India.