This chapter examines two narratives of belonging prevalent in post-colonial South Asia: nation and religion. These narratives of belonging can be traced back to the colonial encounter yet continue to frame political identity in South Asia today. However, they are, I argue, incapable of providing peace and security since they did not arise organically out of the logic of South Asian society but were externally imposed as a result of the colonial rule. Colonialism led to a transformation of narratives of belonging found in ‘thick’ cosmological traditions which frequently overlapped and were in dialogue with one another into ‘thin’ narratives of identity based on the nation and religion, marked by a firm boundary between ‘self’ and ‘other,’ laying the basis for the construction of religiously defined national identities.’ This poses a threat to peace and security not only in South Asia but, given the fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, to peace and security globally. Finally, it will be suggested that rethinking identity as narratives of belonging necessitates rethinking peace as a process without an end state or goal.