In fact the question arises: can a major Hindu politician arise who does not feel it necessary to bow down before Christianity and Islam in order to prove that he is a true national leader? Cannot a Hindu be a national leader of India as a good Hindu without having to try to be a good Christian and Muslim as well? Being a good national leader is not a matter of respecting one or all religious beliefs. It consists of giving priority to the nation at a political level, regardless of religious considerations. In India today nationalism is not defined by nationalism but by religion, and particularly by honoring foreign-derived religions, as if that somehow made one more nationalistic!

Naturally this makes for a weak country and encourages separatist movements. As soon as a Hindu politician in India wants to become popular, he starts speaking of the glory of Islam and the greatness of Christ. He does not speak of the greatness of the nation going back to ancient times or of its venerable old Hindu-based traditions. This does not encourage minority groups to think of themselves as Indians but gives more weight to their religious identity as overriding any political identity. A Hindu can only be an Indian political leader by this logic if he ceases to be a Hindu, except in private, and in public goes out of his way to honor Islam and Christianity, not just the Muslim and Christian citizens of India but Christ and Mohammed as avatars and Christian and Islamic beliefs as true, great, and not to be criticized. 

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