I've always wondered -- will India continue to exist as a nation state 10 years down the line? Coming to think of it, there is nothing really that can bind this country together. Where is the common language, common history, common religion, common food and common customs? The more I travel, the more differences I see. The north, is so vastly different from the south. As much as the east is from the west. Which is why, when I came across news reports that spoke of how the four South India states were trying to form a federation along the lines of an economic union, I thought my worst fears were coming true. That the Balakanization of India had begun.

Having said that, I must also confess that there is another world view -- one that another part of me subscribes to. That for all its idiosyncrasies, this country will survive. Not just survive, but flourish. Shekhar Gupta, editor in chief of The Indian Express articulated why in his brilliantly written column National Interest in today morning's edition of the newspaper. Read on .....