Commentary A nation is defined by the qualities that its citizens have in common. Without common traits and common values, nations could scarcely exist. A group of people that merely happened to gather in one place is a crowd. Even a settled group of disinterested strangers can hardly be called a nation. Nations are made up of people who identify with each other and call each other by the same name—thus, for example, we have the English, the Indians, the French, the Haitians, and the Americans. Historically nations have been defined by a common birth or blood. Nations, like my home country of India, are made up of people who have a shared ancestry. They look alike. They eat the same food. They largely have the same mores and memories. There are, of course, some forms of diversity or difference in every nation. India has Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. But …