Indian = ?

I once sat down to wonder what being an Indian really means....maybe I had just too much of free time...but nonetheless, the thought seemed important to me, and soon I was asking myself why I hadn't raised the question before.
What is that one thing(or more than one) that holds the fabric of indian society together? I mean, we're all so different and yet we have a lot in common to bind ourselves as fellow citizens of the same nation. Is it our culture? naah...that varies faster than latitude in our country: there's hardly anything in common between the culture in ladakh and nicobar now is there?

Is it our politics? probably not..we have more political parties and ideologies than the Sheikhs have oil wells. It's not even the food...you can't boast about a great meal without a helping of butter chicken in Punjabi style and yet, even garlic is taboo in some parts of the country.

Maybe it's Bollywood that binds us together(what with all the song and dance and general psychedelics)...

Maybe it's something more serious...like democracy or our commitment to it....maybe it's our constitution and all the nationalist paraphernalia(the flag, anthem and all)....
But all said and done...you've got to admit that it's a special feeling...something that comes straight from the gut....where else in the world would you not think twice before pissing around the next street corner...
So Indianness = complexities that not many people understand. It's engrained in the DNA of your brain....it's part of you without you realizing it on a conscious level.....
We're all Indian----right up to the bottom of our hearts!!