Indian state is as much a natural conception as it is a political planned fertilization of the diverse linguistically different regions of an area whose only common identity before the unification by the British was the same racial and religious identity. India as a unified state never existed in history, and it never had a common binding factor that unites all its populace regardless of race, cast religion or linguistic identity. The British unification of India not only united the geographical region, but, for the first time in history, it provided them a reason to unite, against the common enemy, the foreign invaders. However, as soon as it was clear that the fight was won, the leaders now had to provide a separate reason for which the state must continue its unified existence, and bar the Muslim League, nobody could propose a clear and distinct definition of what India was going to be like. The Muslim league wanted a state based on religion that could unite the mass after the departure of British, their movement got a great support, and they were able to form their state, an Islamic republic, through the partition of India. Nevertheless, the non-viability of that identity in the sub-continent was proven by the partition of Pakistan, in a linguistic basis, though the inhabitants of both the countries were Muslims predominantly, and had taken part in the earlier partition enthusiastically.
India was born with a nation identity which was conceived in negation to these historical occurrences, India was a sovereign country, which wanted to protect itself from being occupied by foreign force, India was a secular country, unlike Pakistan, and this “unlike Pakistan” part was very important to Indian people, who failing to understand the proper meaning of secularism interpreted it as religious tolerance. India was not going to be divided by the linguistic biases, so, states were created out of linguistically distinct areas. Hence most of Indian identities established at the point of independence were rather reflection to past and present occurrences, rather than being a conception of conceived and new ideas. As time has progressed, the state of world around has changed, but the principal denominator of Indian National Identity has not changed, and deemed extremists demanding independence on mostly ethnic, religious or linguistic grounds have emerged. Thus, the first conceived identity has failed somewhat, as it was precisely against these very ideas.
To add to this has been the indecisiveness over the government form, India, conceived by Gandhi Ji was a state whose power rose from the Panchayeti Raj, that conceived by Jinnah gave states almost full autonomy, and that conceived by Nehru-Gandhi rulers was centrally dominant. As such, states have felt exploited sometimes or the other during history, as most of the states of India have linguistically and culturally distinct people, who do not necessarily identify with the great Indian cause unless their cause has been properly addressed. Furthermore, the government has given some states more power and autonomy than others (e.g. Kashmir) though declaring it to be a special circumstance, the people of other state have not stopped short of creating special circumstances for their own states. The India government has been blackmailed so many times at gun point, that every other ethnic group now has one or two extremist factions.
The failed idea to promote one national identity through one national language during the 60s have been forgotten by the Saffron Brigade who are promoting it in a new pack of triple Indianism (Hindi, Hindu, Hindutwa) with poster boys like Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, and incidents like the demolition of Babri Masjid. It has quite often published in the media that Dr. Kalam starts his days by reading a verse or two from the Geeta, which according to the saffron brigade, is what an ideal secular Indian would do. Dr. Kalam has been exploited till he could yield no more, he has been used to prove that Muslims can be patriotic, that being a Muslim does not necessarily mean having a soft corner for Pakistan. The saffron brigade in last 20 years has created amidst the majority that they have been wronged time and again throughout history, and then by their very own government. Now, the majority resents having to share a state with Muslims, who were given a separate state — Pakistan.
To add to this feeling have been the introduction of various reservations. India, a country where being of higher caste meant you were worshipped as God once is now seeing various groups demanding that they must be bracketed with the Scheduled classes and tribes. And these demands are often turning violent, and in some extreme cases, given rise to terrorist organization. The introduction of reservation, which it was thought that would get rid of discrimination have divided the Indian populace like none other, and it has involved the educated elite too, who previously did not care about castism. Rather than getting rid of caste differences and making people forget it as a shameful part of history, the government has taken it out and put it before everyone and made it something which everyone must be aware of.
The political parties of India show how far India really is from achieving a true national identity. Most parties are conceived in racial, linguistic or religious circumstances, and barring the communists, no party has a clear economic stand point, forget about individualism. Even the communist, who come from a strong economic and philosophical ideology has been found confused and reacting in a knee-jerk manner. Their acceptance by the educated once showed that India once was prepared to move beyond the politics of cast and religion, but now, communists are mostly seen waving their secular flag rather than using their true red flag of equality and social justice. Hence, they have been rejected by the educated people, and now are in dangerous of being wiped out of a state which they have ruled for 27 years, and that too to a lady whose political agenda is solely based on objecting to the communists and nothing more. Such a shame.

I, a libertine, was very much interested in the communist politics in my young adulthood, as that appeared to be the only party which was addressing the real issues and moving away from cast and religion. Many of our friends came to join the party, but soon became disillusioned not because the party was proposing communism, which we did not like, rather because, it was going in the same direction as the others. But all those people from the previous generation, who wanted to vote on economic basis, had no option but to vote for them, and it is sad, for their demise proves that the field for true libertine philosophies is almost non-existent and is violently opposed by the present parties.
Now, the Indian Nation identity is very much limited to that of being born in this country to a mother and father who are Indians. And hence, the rate of emergence of separatist movement is increasing every year, and the government has to bribe to keep the nation integrated. Perhaps, someday, the identity shall be established on economic and philosophical terms, and citizenship by birth be abolished in favour of citizenship by choice. But then, what would limit the boundaries of such a state? A global mega state brought about without the use of arms, perhaps!