Khushwant Singh’s essays are full of admiration and scorn for his beloved country. Having lived a long and eventful life, he’s seen the country though most of its historical events. No subject is too small or big to be written about. Neither is there a distinction between the sacred and the profane. Singh turns his pungent wit upon each with an equal charm and delight.

In this book, Mala Dayal has curated a collection that is fairly broad. There is one essay that stands out: Why I am an Indian.

In today’s disturbing times, when a person’s ‘Indian-ness’ is questioned at a whim and our differences of opinion are projected as irreconcilable extremes, it is calming to reflect upon Khushwant Singh’s words written in 1970:

‘Are you an Indian first and a Punjabi or Sikh second? Or is it the other way round?’ I don’t like the way these questions are framed and if I am denied my Punjabiness or my community tradition, I would refuse to call myself an Indian. I am Indian, Punjabi and a Sikh. And even so I have a patriotic kinship with one who says ‘I am Indian, Hindu and Haryanvi’ or ‘I am Indian Moplah Muslim and Malayali’. I want to retain my religious and linguistic identity without making them exclusive in any way.

I am convinced that our guaranteed diversity is our strength as a nation. As soon as you try to obliterate regional language in favour of one ‘national’ language or religion, in the name of one Indian credo, you will destroy the unity of the country. Twice was our Indianness challenged. In 1962 by the Chinese; in 1965 by the Pakistanis. Then, despite our many differences of language, religion and faith, we rose as one to defend our country. In the ultimate analysis, it is the consciousness of frontiers that makes a nation. We have proved that we are one nation.

What then is this talk about Indianizing people who are already Indian? And has anyone any right to arrogate to himself the right to decide who is and who is not a good Indian?