Future of tolerant, free India is at risk
In the recent national elections in India, the Hindu nationalist party BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi won with a massive landslide for a second five-year term. This may result in an existentialist change in India as we know it.
BJP is the political face of a paramilitary organization the RSS. Its aspiration is for India to be a Hindu nation; its ideology is called Hindutva. It considers all non-Hindus to be the progeny of invaders. BJP has no use for ideals like secularism and inclusiveness. It has an active campaign of reconverting non-Hindus back to Hinduism called "Ghar Wapsi." (come back home). Secularism has become such a bad word in Indian politics that the opposition National Congress, the party of secularism, fought the recent election without ever using the word.
BJP has vigorously popularized a fake version of Indian history where a good nation, a Hindu version of Wakanda, that invented airplanes and genetic engineering thousands of years ago, was assaulted by foreign marauders. Muslim contributions to India's architecture, music, language and arts are not recognized. All things Muslim are scrubbed clean.
This aspirational ideology of Hidutva, has found deep traction, partly because it makes the ordinary Hindu feel empowered. BJP/RSS have used the electronic media skillfully in furthering this ideology. Millions of Indians have smartphones, and Modi is on their screens constantly. A stridently pro-Modi media with reckless disregard for truth has sustained it.
Modi won despite poor economic performance of past few years. The unemployment rate is at the highest in years. Only the oligarchs have prospered (Modi is pro-big business.) Many oligarchs have been involved in a scandal where they defaulted on massive bank loans.
The Hindutva ideology is the exact opposite of the idea of India that its Founding Fathers Gandhi and Nehru had. The RSS/BJP leaders hate Gandhi, and some of its members have called his assassin a national hero. Nehru, the first prime minster of India, who was responsible for giving India an electoral democracy, an independent judiciary and a free press, is constantly vilified.
Modi has created for himself the persona of a strong leader of a muscular Hindu India. This is most apparent in the language he uses against India's arch-rival Pakistan. It is very much like President Donald Trump's rhetoric against Iran now and North Korea in the past. To further bolster his strong Hindu leader persona, he has adopted Hindu religious symbols and attire. He speaks in pure Hindi and not English as his predecessors did. Modi has a Svengali, a man named Amit Shah. He sat with Modi at his first press conference ever and answered all the questions.
In BJP's second five-year term, the economy may come back if it is left to professionals and Modi does not come up with oddball schemes like demonetization. Law and order may worsen. Muslims and Dalits (the untouchables) will walk the streets in fear of the lynch mob.
Right-wing Hindu cow protection outfits have lynched many a Muslim and Dalit to death in broad daylight at the mere suspicion of carrying beef or trading in it. Hundreds watch the lynching with an added cruel twist of it being recorded and live streamed on cellphones. The criminals are either not apprehended or go free with a wrist slap. The Christian minority is under such threat that India is now considered one of the riskiest nations for them.
Millions of Muslims in the Northeastern state of Assam may lose their citizenship even if they have lived there for generations. More public places will have their ancient Muslim names changed to Hindu names. A temple may be finally built at the site of the demolished ancient mosque called Babri Masjid. Even the Taj Mahal is at risk. BJP's pseudo scholars are busy spreading the canard that it was a Hindu temple.
Will India of Nehru and Gandhi survive this onslaught? The sad answer appears that the secular, wonderfully messy, inclusive, loud, argumentative, tolerant India, with a decent press and educational institutions and an independent judiciary may not. I hope I am wrong.
Javeed Akhter is a physician and freelance writer from Oak Brook.