Amartya sen is just the person to write about the politics of identity and its dangers. Identity is a tricky idea, and in the wrong hands tricky ideas can be put to wicked mischief. The guiding thought of this wise, impassioned essay is that ethnic, religious and other such labels are often treacherous, especially when someone else is labelling you at your expense. Mr Sen's target is less group loyalty itself than political and religious leaders who manip-ulate group claims for their own ends.
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