By Ali Abbas
With the coming to power of nationalists in India through the BJP, the secular stance of the Indian state suddenly turned into a Hindu nation-state, denying the rights of other important national minorities. As a result, the so-called identity of being the world’s largest democracy has become questionable, given the human rights violations against other minority communities, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
Basically, Hindutva is a strong political/ religious ideology that promotes the Hindu religion and its values, considering that Hindu religion as the foundation of Indian society and culture. Hence, the notion of secular India has been demolished by adding this strong, motivated ideology within the state’s institutions and political spheres. The current BJP government led by Modi is dependent on an aggressive Hindutva religious ideology for its electoral success in the elections. Several critics, including the political opponents, say that a BJP government based on Hindu nationalism can easily threaten to force out secularism from the Indian constitution. The politicization of Hindutva ideology has resulted in aggressive policies that also threaten the rights of India’s Muslim community as citizens.
Democracy does not only mean holding regular elections. It is about institutional and political stability within the state, and also the transparent accountability of elected people as well. But, there is continuously increasing political instability in Indian political spheres. The faith in parliamentary democracy has been decreasing day by day, because of several complexities and corruption associated with the electoral system and process. Recently, popular protesters came out on the roads against the so-called leader of the ruling party because of derogatory remarks against other religious minorities on national television. These events happen on a daily basis, and the national minorities feel that the current regime is treating them as second class citizens by denying their constitutional rights.
The Hindutva vigilantism has rooted in different structures, and ideologically motivated groups have deliberately targeted the Muslim community and their businesses. These groups launched a popular campaign against Christians and Muslims to convert them into Hindu-Faith. This is so far from the India that was built by Nehru’s vision of secularism and promised equal rights for all citizens irrespective of their culture, religion and background. The current regime has badly failed to protect the Indian secular identity, and also has failed to protect the lives, businesses of the citizens. The system seems no longer protecting minorities, even government officials themselves were involved in hate speeches against minorities. Secular values have been declined or ignored.
Since came to the power BJP has positioned itself as hegemonic party in Indian politics and putting the secular parties on back foot. The growing nationalist policies and sentiments seems that the Hindutva politics has deep rooted within the society and increasing hate towards other nations. This game of politics pushes by BJP regime to legitimate its stance during electoral process across the country. In April, 2022 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is monitoring the human rights abuses happening in India and involved some current government officials, this is the rare comment from a high official from the United States criticizing India. The US Department of State report highlighted the major violations in India, including extrajudicial killings and violations against Muslims in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir. These reports indicate that the Indian regime is going to transform secularism into religious fanaticism. The concept of secularism gives all people equal rights without any bias, but in practice in India minorities has been targeted because they are easy targets to secure majority electoral vote bank.
Once Gandhi said, democracy is that under it the weakest should have the same opportunity as the strongest. Nehru also said that democracy means equality, and it can only flourish in an equal society. By countering all these views and secular political values that have emerged initially, now Hindutva nationalism is depriving India of one of its important qualities or assets. The same era when other nations in the world are struggling to cope with religious diversity and differences.
Author: ALI ABBAS. PhD – School of Politics and International Studies, Central China Normal University Wuhan. He holds M.Phil. Degree in International Relations from National Defence University Islamabad, Pakistan. His PhD. research focuses on the Strategic triangular relationship between Pakistan-China and the USA in the 21st century. His research area of interest further includes South Asian studies, Extremism, and terrorism, foreign policy of great powers. He writes in China Daily, Modern Diplomacy, World Strategic Insights, Eurasia Review, South Asian Journal and Always CCNU Magazine. Currently he is working as Editor of “Always CCNU” Magazine.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are only of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinion or position of World Geostrategic Insights).