India: a dystopia for minorities |
Shining India has lost its lustre under Modi mania which grips India today. Unfortunately, the Nehruvian secularism has been totally eclipsed by the RSS-driven Hundutva Manusmriti. The Laws of Manu consecrating human indignity have engulfed Indian state as well as public imagination. As a perfect exemplar of the "Theory of Radicalization" of Crenshaw, the Indian society has internalised the religious particularism of Golwalkar and Savarkar, under the infernal fires of Hindutva extremism, lit by the likes of Mihan Bhagwat and Yogi Adityanath.
According to a PEW Research Centre's 2021 study, "Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation", 64% of the Hindu population in India believes that in order to be a true Indian one has to be a Hindu. In the same Pew survey, 80% of the Hindus believe in linguistic apartheid with Hindi as the only language permissible for Indians. Indian secularism is only in name now as the relentless Hindutva propaganda has radicalised an entire population now. The result is the macabre spectacle of charged-up Hindu mob attacking a Christmas celebration in Odissa.
According to a Christian organisation, Open Doors, India leads amongst the countries persecuting the Christians. Against 2% Christians in a population of 1.4 billion Indians that include 80% of Hindus, over 834 attacks against Christians (2 attacks per day) have been experienced as per United Christian Forum.
The statement of Surrendra Gupta, the general Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), that participation in other faiths' festivals might lead to acceptance........