Equality,fairness and limits of diversity

Most western societies today are multi‐ethnic and multicultural. As such they need to determine the range of permissible diversity and develop a consensus on what an equal and fair treatment of minorities implies. This paper takes some of the controversial minority practices and analyzes the debates they provoked in Britain. It ends by suggesting how best to reconcile the community's desire to preserve its identity with the demands of fairness and equality.     

Towards a multicultural democracy: some thoughts on the recent Indian elections

Abstract The surprising defeat of the BJP in May's elections is evidence of longterm trends in India's politics. Welcomed by the diaspora with mixed feelings, the results inspire confidence in India's progress towards a mature multicultural democracy. The elections demonstrate that India is a far more diverse and pluralistic country than previous elections might have suggested and that Indian democracy successfully mirrors the country's ideological spectrum. In place of Hindu nationalism and the religious card, one finds a unique political leadership drawn from the country's minorities and shaped by India's synthetic culture.