For a minority to succeed it is necessary that it wins as many friends as possible, does not antagonise anyone around and open the channels of communication with those who have turned hostile for some reason. In short, one should never be left friendless. In a world that is fast turning into a global village, even an individual does not go very far without cultivating friendships.
Interdependence is on the rise.
Those who maroon themselves are doomed. But looking from the angle of Indian Muslims, it is necessary that we walk an extra mile in breaking isolation. Winning goodwill should be the key word in our lexicon of success. For the last 50 years we have been so out of pace with times and the society we live in that isolation is leading to ghettoism. Some of our leaders have ensured that the community gets into a cocoon woven around itself.