Gurcharan Das (author of India Unbound and The Elephant Paradigm) in his latest blog post asks a very important and pertinent question

Will our 21st century be the story of an India turning middle class or will it get derailed by religious wars?

He goes on to argue that

… Even fundamentalists will get absorbed in finding good jobs, decent homes, and good schools for their kids. Since the attractions of peace are greater than of war, commerce will replace conquest as the route to achievement …

… It may seem odd to say this at a moment that capitalism has been humbled, but I still believe that secular, democratic, capitalist India will prevail in the end. Just as we have rejected socialism and central planning as the path to prosperity, so will our plural, secular democracy ultimately defeat political Islam and political Hinduism.

This for me is a very important post and it outlines the ideas and philosophy around which Mr. Das wants to build India in the next century. The concept of capitalist democracy is very simple and yet powerful. It takes a country from the tyranny of religion and fundamentalists to a fast road leading to market enabled development and social empowerment.

Political leaders need to learn from Mr. Das and adopt an approach that is beyond petty issues of religion and take the country forward.