BJP and its Politics of Cricket
Cricket–and the World Cup–in India have become more than just an event for the people to enjoy. For Modi and the BJP, hosting the ICC World Cup is just one more feather of international recognition in their caps, following the G20 summit just weeks ago.
It could be due to the fact that sports and entertainment have a way of going where historically politics and state media have had a hard time penetrating.
Who is Rahul Gandhi?
Rahul Gandhi, an MP until just recently and the descendant of Jawaharlal Nehru, has been sentenced to two years in prison for a four-year-old defamation case.
This sentence has been spurred by the popularity of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress Party and the success of the Unite India March against the BJP government.
BBC Documentary on Modi’s Role in the 2002 Gujrat Riots
On 17th January 2023, BBC released a documentary showing the role of Prime Minister Modi (then chief minister of Gujrat) in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujrat. The program reveals atrocities that led to the death of over 1000 people in western Gujrat.
Soon after the documentary was released, the Indian government invoked emergency laws to ban its broadcast throughout the country.
Hindutva: Turning Secular India into a Hindu State
Hindutva has created divisions in Indian society by forging a ‘Muslim threat’ to legitimize the BJP’s anti-Muslim acts. Nishat Shuja analyzes Modi’s aim of creating a Hindu Rashtra (state) through Hindu supremacist policies and Muslim marginalization.
The 2019 Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomous status, and the Kerala hijab ban are cases in point for the systemic discrimination against the Muslim minority. Undoubtedly, PM Modi and right-wing Hindu nationalism threaten India’s constitutional foundations by creating a Hindu Rashtra.
Will India Revise its No First Use (NFU) Policy?
The No First Use (NFU) Policy, a very well-crafted and sought-out characteristic of the Indian nuclear doctrine, is on the verge of being revisited and modified by the current BJP government.
Lyba Mobeen aims to scrutinize the prevailing sentiment among public officials, strategists, and policymakers regarding this policy change.
She concludes that given the track record of the fascist and extremist Modi government since 2014, such a perilous and alarming policy amendment can be expected. Resultantly, another wave of an arms race and security dilemma will commence in the South Asian region.
Non-local Voting in J&K: Eradicating Kashmiri Identity
After depriving Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy by revoking articles 370 and 35A, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now taken another definitive step towards suppressing the people of Kashmir. The BJP has announced a new electoral process that allows non-locals to register as voters in Indian administrated J&K, thereby impacting the region’s political system and voter turnout. Maryam Ibrahim notes that this decision has garnered immense criticism from the Indian opposition parties and Kashmiri politicians, and raised concerns among the Kashmiri locals. Today, they fear whether they’ll have any rights left.
Buffalo Nationalism: A Critique of Spiritual Fascism
In “Buffalo Nationalism: A Critique of Spiritual Fascism,” Kacha Ilaiah Shepherd argues that inequality is embedded in Hinduism due to its Brahminic philosophy. He criticizes India’s caste system and compares India’s oppression of its minorities and lower castes with the buffalo. While the cow is revered in Hindu philosophy, the buffalo on the other hand is demonized. Ilaiah, while criticizing India’s “divide and rule” policy, calls for the construction of a new form of nationalism that promotes equality and justice.
Modi’s India & Hindutva-related Communal Violence
Communal violence in India has significantly increased since Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014. The rise in violence against Indian Muslims, in particular, can be attributed to the BJP’s promotion of Hindutva and its support for the creation of a Hindu-dominated state. The author, Muhammad Mustafa Ahmed Khan, notes that the Modi regime’s implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the revocation of Article 370 are a representation of its anti-Muslim policies. He argues that while Pakistan has condemned India’s human rights abuses, the US has remained silent to maintain its economic ties with India.
From Persecution to Open Calls for Muslim Genocide in India
Is India’s democracy buckling under the weight of its endless anti-Muslim hate speech? Gandhi really did not wish for his beloved state to become what it is now — a secular state that inspires antipathy to its Muslim citizens. Hindutva or Hindu nationalism has recently sparked calls for Muslim genocide, distancing the notion of democracy in India.
Pakistan and India Will Go to War Again
The paper describes the major reasons why Pakistan and India will go to war again. It asserts that while Pakistan has reduced extremism in the country by vanquishing Islamist groups, India’s Hindutva agenda, spearheaded by the ruling BJP, will push both countries to another war.
The Demise of the Indian Media Under BJP Rule
India’s media today is characterized by prejudice & jingoism. The BJP is cited as the main culprit for this sordid state of the media. From the use of threats and violence to the use of bribery and fame, the BJP and its trolls have succeeded in making the media its veritable arm.