Do Separate Time Zones in a Country Promote Harmony or Dissent?

The sunrise times in central and northeast India vary by more than one hour. But are separate time zones a good idea in a country already scarred by internal racism?

The author dressed in a Mekhela Sador — the traditional outfit for the women of Assam (Image source: Anangsha Alammyan on Instagram)

“Okay bye, I’ll call you later,” I gush to my friend, as I place the phone between my ear and shoulder, locking the door and stepping out. “It’s going to get dark soon and I want to make the most of the last daylight hours.”

“But yaar, I thought you’d go for a walk before sunset,” my friend complained.

“Yes, and it’s going to be dark in an hour,” I tell her, rushing down the stairs.

“But it’s only 5 PM.”

And then it hit me why my friend was finding it so hard to believe. She lives in New Delhi, the capital of India, while I’m from Assam — a state in the northeastern part of India. Our country has a single time zone for all the states, but Assam and New Delhi have a longitudinal difference of 15.85.

Just to brush up some high school geography, the twenty-four hours of a day are divided by 360 degrees — a complete revolution of the earth on its axis. Hence, a distance of 15 degrees on the map amounts to a time difference of one hour. This…