Nationalism vs. Pluralism: The Crisis of Identity in India

Author(s)	SUMAN MANDAL
Country	India
Abstract	India has historically been known as a pluralistic society, where diversity of religions, languages, races and cultures is the foundation of the state. The Constitution envisions citizenship as a "thin" identity, where all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. But the emergence of "thick" cultural nationalism in India in recent decades has tied national identity into a certain religious-civilizational framework. This article analyses the conflict of nationalism and pluralism in the context of contemporary India and shows how these conflicts are creating an "identity crisis" between minorities and marginalised populations. The article argues that, when nationalism becomes culturally one-sided, it undermines democratic inclusion and breaks social cohesion.
Keywords	nationalism, pluralism, identity politics, India, democracy, majoritarianism.
Field	Sociology > Politics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-02-15
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.68916

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