Hindu nationalism is an aggressive, fanatical, and oppressive ideology that seeks to establish the supremacy of the Hindu religion and its culture in India. It has gained significant ground in recent decades. It enjoys substantial support among the middle classes, which is why it has prevailed politically, elevating Narendra Modi as the current prime minister of that vast country.
This movement, led primarily by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power since 2014, and its parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has transformed the country’s political and social landscape. This rise has been marked by numerous abuses and harms, both at the individual and collective levels, especially against Muslims.
Hindu nationalism has its roots in the 19th century, when it already showed intolerance toward other religions. Over the years, it has evolved into a more exclusionary and divisive agenda. The RSS, founded in 1925, and the BJP, its political arm, have been the main promoters of this vision.
It was inspired first by Mussolini’s fascism and later by Nazism, advocating that what the Nazis did to the Jews should also be carried out by Hindus against India’s religious minorities.
Read LIVE WITHOUT HARMING: Let us not be racists, ethnicists, xenophobes, or ultranationalists
Over time, it has been trampling in four ways: mistreating religious minorities, stifling freedom of expression, treating the untouchables as inferior, and oppressing tribal communities.
1.- ABUSES AGAINST RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
One of the most concerning aspects is its treatment of other religious communities, especially Muslims and Christians, who have been subjected to violence, discrimination, and systematic marginalization.
It is true that both Muslims and Christians committed great outrages against Hindus in the past, but this does not justify harming innocent people.
Read HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT HARM?: Let’s not make the innocent pay for the guilty
Violence directed against the Muslim community has been one of the most visible and devastating aspects. In 1992, a crowd of tens of thousands of volunteers destroyed a mosque because it was allegedly built on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Rama that Muslims demolished in the 16th century.
That incident was accompanied by riots that killed between 900 and over 2,000 people, most of them Muslims. Pogroms, gang rapes, and the burning of Muslim homes took place.
The 2002 Gujarat riots are another emblematic example. During these events, it is estimated that between one and two thousand Muslims died, and thousands more were displaced. Numerous cases of physical assault, rape, and destruction of property belonging to this group have been documented.
These atrocities were perpetrated with the complicity or inaction of state authorities, led at the time by Narendra Modi, who would later become the Prime Minister of India.
In some provinces, attacks on Muslims by Hindu extremists are a daily occurrence and happen with impunity, without police protection due to the complicity of Modi’s nationalist government.
In addition to direct violence, religious minorities suffer arbitrary arrests, discrimination, and forced conversions. Christians, for example, have been attacked in various parts of the country and their churches vandalized. Anti-conversion laws, present in several states, have been used to harass and arrest those seeking to change their religion, particularly when the change is from Hinduism to another faith.
2.- REPRESSION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Hindu fundamentalism has also had a significant negative impact on freedom of expression in India. Those who criticize Hindu ideology or the BJP government are often victims of intimidation, harassment, and violence. Journalists, academics, and activists have been targeted by smear campaigns, threats, and, in some cases, murder, both within the country and abroad.
A series of homicides of prominent figures, such as journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017, has sown fear among critics of the regime. Lankesh, known for her critical views of the BJP and the RSS, was shot dead outside her home. Other activists and academics have suffered a similar fate, creating a climate of fear that stifles debate and dissent.
The Modi government has been accused of attempting to control the media, either through direct or indirect pressure. Large media conglomerates that criticize the government have undergone tax audits and other forms of intimidation. Furthermore, a pro-government narrative has been promoted that portrays any criticism as unpatriotic and treasonous, further restricting the space for free and open discourse.
3.- MARGINALIZATION OF LOWER CASTES
Hindu extremism tends to privilege the upper castes and to marginalize and harm the Dalits (untouchables). Read more at…
FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HARM: Let’s reform the caste system in Hinduism
4.- ABUSE OF TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
Hindu fundamentalists also discriminate against the Adivasis, tribal communities. Development policies and industrial projects often result in their forced displacement. These lands are essential for their livelihood and culture, but they are frequently expropriated without fair compensation. Forced displacement and the destruction of their traditional livelihoods have led to an increase in poverty and despair among the Adivasis.
For all the above reasons, it is necessary to find a path toward inclusion and mutual respect, rejecting policies and practices that perpetuate hatred and violence.
LET’S CONTRIBUTE NOW TO ERADICATING THESE INJUSTICES!
How?
LET’S AVOID HARM!: Let’s choose the best version of each religion
THE ART OF LIVING WITHOUT HARM: LET’S SEE the harmful part of religions
THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING WITHOUT HARM: LET’S REFORM the harmful part of religions
LET’S LIVE HARM-FREE!: Let’s be rational
LIVING WITHOUT HARM: Let us oppose poisonous dogmatism.
HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT HARM? Let’s think for ourselves and erase toxic indoctrination
FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HARM: Let’s be open
THE ART OF LIVING WITHOUT HARM: Let’s avoid harmful herd mentality
LET US PREVENT HARM!: Let us share and persuade so that they do not cause harm
Thank you for not standing idly by and doing something about it, even if it is very small.
Xavier Paya
Living Without Harm initiative
LET’S NOT HARM ANYONE, except in legitimate self-defense against an aggressor.
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