(3 of 6)
Religious antagonism is caused by friction between South Asia's three great religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Though all three have undergone schisms and changes, they have nonetheless escaped the equivalent of the Reformation, which split the less flexible Christian faith but also moved it into the modern era. Relatively unharried by reformers and modernizers, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism reached the 20th century with their ancient, fossilized social doctrines nearly intact. Hinduism's caste system, Buddhism's ambiguous attitude toward worldly institutions, Islam's hatred of infidels—all perpetuate intermittent communal discord.
Theoretically tolerant, Buddhist bonzes make immense mischief when they meddle in politics (TIME cover, Dec. 11). Troublesome Islamic minorities chafe in China, Thailand, the Philippines, as well as India. A leading Bombay Moslem complains: "Hindu customers never allow me in their offices at lunchtime because they feel my presence would pollute their food. How can we ever live as brothers?" Hindus return hate for hate. Nehru himself once remarked that Hindu communalism was "the Indian version of fascism." Social, let alone sexual intercourse between young people of the two religions has been known to lead to murder.
In theory, Indian law has done away with the caste system, but higher-caste Hindus still abuse the country's near 65 million Untouchables. Custom still requires them to live in the shabbiest quarter of each village and perform the most menial tasks, like gathering night soil for the fields. In many areas their womenfolk are forbidden to wear jewelry or pretty clothes of any kind. While a Moslem theater in New Delhi not long ago staged a local version of Shaw's Pygmalion, the original My Fair Lady, modern-minded Indians point out bitterly that a Hindu version would be unthinkable: as the daughter of a dustman, Eliza Doolittle would be an Untouchable. Hence Brahmin Henry Higgins' housekeeper would never let her use the same plates and bedding as the rest of the household. And if the high-caste guests at the famous tea party guessed they were socializing with an Untouchable, they would drop their teacups and rush to a temple to purify themselves.
The fate of India's Untouchables is special—and yet it is also typical. It is almost a metaphor for the condition of all minorities in Asia, for to some degree each Asian country has its Untouchables.
Language & Race
Linguistic enmities hamper understanding and cause bloodshed among Asians, who speak more than 3,000 languages and dialects. The most recent linguistic flare-up came in February, after New Delhi tried to establish Hindi as the official tongue, although it is understood by less than 45% of India's population. Scores of pro-Hindi partisans were beaten, stabbed or trampled to death in protest riots by South Indians, who fear losing government jobs to Hindi speakers.