An analytical survey of Modi’s rule in India proves the increasing pressures of ideological politics in India based on an updated version of Hindutva and its countrywide promotion. The upgradation in the traditional notion of the Modi-led Hindutva government introduced an altered version of Indian cultural nationalism, one of the leading features of state politics. It is generally called a new version of Hindu nationalism rooted in Modi’s version of Hindutva, which could be dubbed Modituva due to its overwhelming influence on the country’s mainstream social culture. The cultural wisdom of this change clearly reflects the political interests of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and its broader vision of national developmentalism with the support of strong ideological patterns. The distinctive nature of Modi’s Modituva primarily originates from the nation’s ancient ideological thoughts, and it proposed a vision of a bright Indian future under Modi’s leadership. This factor led Modi to secure a third term as Prime Minister while validating the revolutionary impacts of his personality on the regional and global standings of New Delhi. Moreover, the domestic reforms at the country’s social, political, and economic landscapes brought various alterations in its national development parallel to improving its economic conditions. The initiation of Modi’s third term as Prime Minister has also validated the inseparable connections between Modituva ideology and the scope of the country’s social prosperity and economic development. It reiterated the significance of Indian state identity in the broader agenda of New Delhi’s cooperative ties with the outside world while promoting cultural symbols, festivals, narratives, and ideologically tailored national character. Promoting a consolidated form of Hindu nationalism in New Delhi’s mainstream foreign relations has empowered the ideological attributes of the Indian global diaspora and supported their determination to uphold the Modituva-influenced country’s national image across the globe. Moreover, the promotion of ideologically supported New Delhi’s foreign relations has increased the global appreciation of Indian culture and its growing acceptance in the Muslim world. This scenario upgraded Indian position in the global tourist industry with the support of several initiatives such as the Incredible India Campaign, the launching of e-visa schemes, the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Prashad Scheme, Bharat Parv and Dekho Apna Desh programs.

Contrasting to Indian improving global standings under the Modituva’s auspices, the evolution of domestic society under BJP’s ideological ramifications presents a miserable picture of minorities living under Modi’s rule. The advancement of religious campaigns strictly rooted in the Hindu ideology multiplied the sufferings of minorities and increased their societal marginalization. The anti-minorities legislative reforms of New Delhi and the reluctance of the Modi government to address the increasing cases of minority rights violations across the country inflicted a sense of insecurity in minorities. It has introduced a countrywide new culture of political polarization due to expanding tendencies of societal anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistani behaviours. This polarization primarily originates from the Indian intra-state conflict, which

mainly consists of Hindu-Muslim ideological rivalry and their distinct cultural notions deeply rooted in the partition of the subcontinent. Thus, the legislative measures of Modi administration in the form of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), Triple Talaq Bill (Muslim Women Act), Anti-Conversion Laws, Cow-Protections Policies, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) rationalized the increasing anguishes of Muslim communities residing across India. Furthermore, the state-owned demolition operation against unlawful possessions of common properties in the Muslim areas under a countrywide anti-encroachment campaign selectively targeted the Muslim-majority districts. Additionally, the constitutional changes in the form of revocation of Article 370 affected the status of Muslim communities in the Indian illegally occupied areas of Kashmir. It heightened the ongoing tensions among the Muslim population. It placed them in a fearful environment through state-launched widespread crackdown and enforced disappearance operations in Kashmir’s occupied areas, which dramatically increased human rights violations. The resistance of Kashmiri Muslims to this constitutional amendment resulted in the imposition of a prolonged curfew, increased deployment of security forces, communication disconnections, and suspension of internet services in Muslim-majority areas. These legislative measures disproportionately victimized and marginalized the Muslim population in India and its occupied Kashmiri areas parallel to placing these areas under the ideologically driven nationalist agenda of the Modi government.

Reclaiming the history of Gujarat’s communal violence in 2002 under Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister, different international reports proved Modi’s involvement in the anti-Muslim riots. The continuation of Modi’s ideologically supported ultra-nationalist agenda in Indian politics became a countrywide campaign when he arrived in Indian politics as the fourteenth Prime Minister of the country. His focus on converting India into a Hindu-only nation started promoting an anti-Muslim narrative in domestic politics, where the leading state officials of the Modi government preferred to give publically provocative statements in their regular inflammatory speeches. It increased the Hindu-Muslim tensions in India and launched several right-wing anti-Muslim campaigns to empower the Hindu majority over the Muslim minority. The social campaigns to align the Indian population with Modi’s coined nationalist agenda gained substantial societal appreciation in the country due to the supporting statements of different Indian politicians. Thus, the social campaigns for beef ban love Jihad. Homecoming, Cow Vigilantism, and economic boycotts gained prominence across India and augmented the vulnerabilities of Muslim minorities by creating a countywide culture of social discrimination. The increasing fears of Muslim populations due to Modi’s introduced societal reforms to suppress the voice of Muslim rights in India has started dragging the attention of the international community. There are several reports from independent research institutions and non-governmental organizations about the growing human rights violations of the Muslim population in India under the pressures of Modituva. Therefore, the greater responsibility lies on the international community where the proponents of human rights, or specifically the advocators of minority rights, are required to take substantial measures to prevent the growing insecurities of Muslim minorities in India. A variety of responses could be effective in preventing the violations of minority rights in India through taking certain actions in the diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian domains.

Disclaimer:

This article represents the personal opinion of the writer and does not reflect the official position of CISS AJK. The publication of such articles aims to contribute to public discourse by incorporating diverse viewpoints

Author

Dr Attiq-ur-Rehman is an Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, NUML, Islamabad. (arehman@numl.edu.pk). https://www.numl.edu.pk/faculty/446