With India nearing general elections in 2019, one is forced to look back on where Modi’s revolutionary government has brought us. While it has been generally accepted that the status of ethnic groups such as Muslim and Dalit minorities have declined, another group that has arguably faced increased marginalisation is women. Hindu nationalism or Hindutva […]
Tag: Hindutva
‘The Creeping Iron In The Soul’ : Babri Masjid in 2018
“It is not madness; not lunacy. It is the creeping iron in the soul.” In December 1992, India was shaken awake by the news of 150,000 Hindu nationalists ruthlessly tearing down a mosque built in the 16th Century- Babri Masjid (Babri Mosque)- in order to build a temple on the disputed land. Secular segments of […]
The Beef Ban: A Symbol of Hindutva and a Threat to Indian Democracy
Contrary to what one might imagine associated with no-meat and no-beef movements in the West, such as animal rights and veganism, the connotations of restrictions on cow slaughter in India are very different. Instead, the news conjures up images of murder and lynchings, of executions without trial for a crime that isn’t legally penalized. […]