Religion does it still bind?

Today while having my lunch I came across some news which highlighted the religious bias people have while renting out/ selling houses in Mumbai. Well it isn't something new and I infact had a first hand experience to it. A friend of our's, a muslim by religion, a very educated one faced so many problems while renting a house in mumbai. Strange enough when she stayed with me in my house for 2 months I for once never ever felt that she was different than us. Mumbai though is regarded as a very cosmopolitan city, but the first question anyone will ask will be what are you; my religion and my punjabiness acquired a new meaning or I should say I became all the more aware of my religion once I was in Mumbai. Infact all the while I had seen my dad as a very secular and open minded person and he also imbibed in us the same, but for the first time I could see in him the urge to fiercely protect his identity. Going back to the same news clip I then happened to ask my parents would you be fine renting out your house to a muslim , to this my dad relpied , yes and I know it meant it, and my mother had ten filters to who all she wont rent her house to which offfcourse included muslims, bachelors (infact i realized she wont wont even rent out her house to me if I will ask, considering she thinks I won't manage it well).
 In the Indian politics I see people like Narendra Modi in the PM's race, it scares me somewhere considering his past record of Gujarat. I am equally anti Congress for they have been instrumental in carrying out more riots that BJP infact......contd