Hindu nationalism was once a fringe ideology, and now it is mainstream. Nobody has done more to advance this cause than the Indian prime minister.

Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, is now mainstream. Nobody has done more to advance this cause than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most beloved and polarizing political leaders.

And no entity has had more influence on his political philosophy and ambitions than a paramilitary, right-wing group founded nearly a century ago and known as the RSS.

“We never imagined that we would get power in such a way,” said Ambalal Koshti, 76, who says he first brought Modi into the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the late 1960s in their home state, Gujarat.

    • CptEnder@lemmy.worldEnglish
      341·
      8 months ago

      He’s a soft dictator effectively. Suppressed minorities from all over the country. Has elevated militant Hindu nationalism to politics. All while supplying Russia with fuel and arms during the embargo and pissing off both US and China by trying to have his cake and eat it too.

    • spiderman@ani.socialEnglish
      5·
      8 months ago

      His party has a hold of all the media and the celebrities (Indians idolize celebrities a lot). He feeds hate to hate groups (the only thing that still keeps him and his position) while safeguarding his party members in powers even though there are many of them who are convicted of rape and other serious violence cases. Their party likes to spread propaganda against Muslims, and more they secure their holding through elections more they make their states nazi little by little.