People came as immigrants from all over the world, and Hindu and Muslim and Buddhist and Sikh communities became part of the landscape of the U.S.

India is simply dotted with pilgrimage places, and with teachers and very powerful spiritual guides.

What people see in the news are places where things have not going so well.

The practice of leaving settled society to undertake a spiritual journey, or a spiritual life really, is something that is much more common in India. Common especially to a certain phase of life, to the end of life. But not so unusual for younger people as well.

I do think that the U.S. has an opportunity as a democracy to really exemplify what a religiously diverse society can be when it embraces the pluralism.

The idea of going on a spiritual journey is really part of the DNA of India itself.

The idea that the United States government would have to figure out what to do about the headscarf is simply ludicrous. We don't get involved in that.