Final answer:
Conflicts between Hindus, Muslims, and political factions hindered national unity in India during the 1990s, stemming from historical divisions and exacerbated by the Hindutva movements' vision for a Hindu-centric nation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main answer regarding national unity in India during the 1990s points to conflicts between Hindus, Muslims, and political factions within the country as the significant hindrances. These conflicts had deep historical roots, including Britain's divide-and-conquer strategies during colonial rule and the traumatic partition of India and Pakistan post-independence, which fostered long-standing communal tensions. The exacerbation of these tensions can be traced back to the Hindutva nationalist movement, which sought to distinctly define Hindu identity and reduce the influence of other cultures and religions within India. These internal divisions were a significant obstacle to the notion of Indian unity during the 1990s, as the push for a homogenous nation-state often clashed with the country's intrinsic diversity. This included the conflicts in Kashmir, where the historical Hindu-Muslim divide was a recurring theme, and in the political sphere, where the assassination of political leaders such as Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi by separatists reflected the depth of religious and ethnic schisms.