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Indian Democracy and Hindu Populism: The Modi RegimeSocial Text

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IndianDemocracyandHinduPopulism:TheModiRegime

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ByArvindRajagopalonFebruary22nd,2015 0Comments

EducationalOutliers

IndiasstrongmanNarendraModiembracesPresidentBarakObama.ThephotographwastakenduringPresident
ObamassecondvisittoIndia,inJanuary2015.ObamahasmadetwovisitstoIndia,morethananyotherUSpresidentin
office.Source:nbcnews.com.

GoingIntoDebt
Impact
IndianPoliticsunderModi
Neuroculture

Palestine

Quidrides?Mutatonomine,detefabulanarratur.Horace[1]

People'sConferenceonClimate
Change

IntroducingtheProblem

QueerSuicide:ATeachIn

Whydoyoulaugh?Changethename,andthestoryisyours.SoMarxwarnedGermanreaderswhothoughtthelessonsof
CapitalwereonlyaboutEngland,anddidnotapplytoGermany.Similarly,onemightsay,popularelectionswithanti
peopleoutcomesarenotsimplyafeatureofflawedpolitiesinfarawaylands.Theymayalsoreflectforcesatworkinthe
mostpowerfulnationintheworld.

RadicalMaterialism

ThisdossiercompilesaseriesofreflectionsintheaftermathoftheelectioninMay2014ofanIndianpoliticalparty,coming
topoweronacrestofpublicenthusiasm.Notmirth,butfatiguemaysetinuponmentionofonemorecountrywhere
neoliberalismcombineswithreligiouschauvinism,whileleftgroupsslideintofurtherdecline.ThetwoCommunistParties,
whichusedtobestalwartsinParliamentandhadarespectablestrength,arenowsidelinedbythenewgoverningcoalition
ledbytheHindunationalistBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP).AndforthefirsttimeapartywinningamajorityinParliamenthas
notasingleelectedMuslimrepresentative,inwhatistheworldssecondlargestMuslimcountry.ThisnewlevelofHindu
assertionprovidesinterestinglessonsforcomparativeanalysis,butitismainlyareaspecialistswhopayattention.

SocialNetworkinginIran

Hinduassertion,likeotherformsofcontemporarypoliticalchauvinism,isdeeplyconnectedwithstructuraltransformation
andnewmodesofsocialaspiration.Itreflectsnotonlyachangingalignmentofupwardlymobileanddominantclasses.It
alsopointstoareactionagainsttheerstwhileparadigmofpostcolonialdevelopment,aparadigmthatbuckledunderthe
pressuresitwassubjectto.
Hindupopulismhasbeenwinningelections.UntilrecentlyacategorysuchasHindupopulismwashardtoimagine,so
prevalentwasthesensethatreligionbelongedtothepastandpoliticstothefuture.Buttheentityhasbeenawhileinthe
making,evenifthecoinageisnew.Forthefirstfourdecades,alowrateofeconomicgrowthwasimportantinallowinga
secularleadershiptoretainpower,whilerepresentativeinstitutionstookroot.Overtime,Hinduuppercastesgreater
influenceinculturalandsocialdomainsallowedthemtocapitalizeonthelegitimationcrisesthatfollowedhighereconomic
growthinthe1980s.TheBJPusedHinduidentitytocooptlowercastemobilization,andtodiscreditsecularismas
somethingalien.Itisinthiscontextthatdevelopmentalismhasresurfacedrecently,championedbyNarendraModi,an
erstwhilechauvinistfromasocalledbackwardcaste,whonowonlyinvokesHindutvaincodedtermsandthroughhis
underlings.Goodgovernanceishisnewcredo.[2]

RememberingStuartHall
Sandy

SpeculativeLife
ThinkingThroughViolence
TimeBinds
WhatDemocracyLooksLike
WorkandIdlenessintheAgeofthe
GreatRecession
WorldCup2010

RecentCommentsfrom
Periscope

Whenapoliticalproblemisdeclaredtobeover,itsignalsanattempttochangetherulesofdiscoursethereshould
otherwisebenoobjectiontorevisitinghistory.Theresistancetocertainwordsmaythusindicateachangeintheterrainof
politics.WehaveseenthatintheU.S.,wheretheonsetofcivilrightsandaffirmativeactionsanctionedtheexitofracefrom
politeconversation.Meanwhileracismflourished.Somewhatsimilarly,thenewfounddevelopmentalismhasbeen

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sanctionedtodelegitimizethecritiqueofHindutva,asifHindumajoritarianismwerenolongeraproblem.
Interestingly,intheFebruary2015electionsintheDelhiassemblyelections,Modiexperiencedhisfirsteverelectoral
defeat,byapopulistparty,theAamAadmiParty(AAP)orCommonManParty,thatechoedthethemesofgood
governance,butfarmorepersuasively.CrowdsourcedfundingandunpaidvolunteershelpedAAPinalandslidevictory
overtheBJP,whichbehavedtacticallyliketheestablishmentagainstitschallenger.[3]Thecompositionofcandidates
however,isinclassandcasteterms,indistinguishableacrossparty.[4]
TheBJPisstillinthefirstofits5yearterminpower,andithasahistoricmajorityinParliament,whiletheformerruling
CongressPartynowhasonlyafractionofitspreviousstrength.Theessaysinthisdossierseektoprovidesomecritical
purchaseontheriseofNarendraModiandtheBJP.Theironiesofhisascentonlyintensifywithscrutiny.Thenewprime
ministerhasbeenpraisedasthelongawaitedanswertoIndiasproblemsofpoorgovernanceandweakleadership.Buthis
initiativesresemblethoseofmanyotherpopulists,inofferingidentityandrhetorictothepoorandgiveawaystotherich.
Meanwhilevirtuallyallpowerhasbeenconcentratedinhishands.Seniorbureaucratsandpoliticianshavebeenkeptata
distance,theOppositionisdiminished,andwhilethepublicityisunrelenting,theroutinesofpublicaccountabilitysuchasa
mediaofficerorpressconferenceshavebeenneglected.[5]
InsteadModiusesTwitter,wherehehasafewtensofmillionsfollowinghim.Onewaycommunicationhasruled.
Althoughhissuccessisdueabovealltounprecedentedmediasupport,Modichangedthetermsofhisrelationshipwiththe
mediaafterhisvictory.Afterayearlongfloodofnewseventsandpressreleases,thereisasuddendrought.Businesspapers
nowfocusoncommercialandindustrialnews,muchastheyusedtointhefirstdecadesafterindependence,becausethe
PrimeMinistersOfficemonopolizespoliticalinformationandnothingescapesfromthere.Bureaucrats,minorandeven
seniorpartyleadersareforbiddentotalktothepresstheirmovementsaremonitoredbythePMO.Informationiscensored
atsource,sothattheproblemposedbycriticismbecomesnegligible.
Yetthishasledtonoovertprotestfromthenewsindustry.Forexample,theonehundreddayperiodfollowingModis
victorywaswidelyreferredto(intheAmericanstylethatseemstobetakingoverIndianpolitics)asahoneymoon.But
thetruthisthatModistayedawayfromthebedroomandthemediawasdeniedtheirpostelectionconnubialencounter.
Notfor30yearshasIndiaseentheelectionofastrongnationalpartywiththemajorityofsizethattheBJPcurrentlyhas,
i.e.,sinceRajivGandhisCongressgovernmentin1984.Whetherpopulismhassubduedhomohierarchicus,orcasteand
Hindusymbolismhavetakenonapopulistcharacter,somethingnewistakingshapehere.

AmitShah,thepresidentoftherulingBharatiyaJanataParty,greetsPrimeMinisterNarendra
Modi.PhotoCredit:AFP.Source:Scroll.in/http://scroll.in/article/707713/FulltextFormerBJP
leadersexplosivelettertearingintoNarendraModiandAmitShah

WhyFewSawItComing
TheColdWarsend,asweknow,signaledthedefeatofcommunism.Religionbegantobecomemuchmoreinfluential
directlythereafterinmanypartsoftheworld.However,U.S.governmentshadhistoricallytendedtoregardreligionasan
allyagainstgodlesscommunism.[6]Itwasalsoseenasastabilizerintheunendingtransitiontomodernity.[7]No
surprisethenthatinfluentialstudiesofthecoreHindunationalistorganization,theRashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh(RSS,or
NationalVolunteerOrganization)byU.S.basedscholarsregardeditbenignly,asanasceticformofsocialism,asGandhian
volunteerism,orasHindurevivalism.Nevermindthattheorganizationhadbeenbannedonthesuspicionthatithad
participatedinGandhisassassination.[8]TheirstokingviolenceasameansoforganizingHinduswasthusignored,andthe
martialcharacteroftheorganizationwasseenasornamentaltoessentiallypietisttendencies.[9]
Thewarningsignswereignoredbecausetheypertainedtolocalissues,whiletheopticthesescholarsbroughtwasshapedby
U.S.concernsduringthistime.Hindunationalistsidealizednotcommunismbutfascism.Thismayhavebeenreassuringif
onlybecausethereseemedlittlechancethatIndiasAnglophoneelitewouldallowafascistgovernmenttoarise.[10]
Beneaththisassumptionwasadeeperone.ThepostEnlightenmentbanonreligionfromprovidingapoliticallyviable
identityturnedintoapresumptionthatreligioncouldnotbepoliticallyviable.Althoughitsaysmuchabouthowthe
categorywastreatedinforeignpolicy,thiswaslargelytrueofIslamtooweknowtheU.S.usedjihadasaweaponagainst
theUSSRinAfghanistan.
ThehistorianIsaacDeutscheronceremarkedthatanationsforeignpolicyisanextensionofitsdomesticconcernsandnota
separateentity.Domestically,theChristianchurcheswerebyandlarge,apotentculturalandpoliticalresourceinoculating
Americansagainstalienideologies,notablyCommunism.ItissymptomaticthatimmigrantreligionsincludingIslamwere
byandlargewelcomedasasignofcivicbelongingandaportentofassimilationintotheU.S.meltingpot.U.S.foreign
policyonreligionwassubjecttogeopoliticalconsiderationsandcouldnotbeunvaryingbothEgyptandIsraelwereU.S.
allies,forexample.Butthedefaultassumptionwasthatreligiondidnotpresentapoliticalproblem,andassuch,didnot
qualifyasaseriousintellectualconcerneither.Meanwhilereligiousexpressioninthewesthaditselfbeensubjecttoa
centurieslongtransformationsothatitinheredinavarietyofartifacts,institutionsandpracticeswithoutnecessarily
definingitselfexplicitlyasaproductoftheChurchorasasignoffaith.
Hindushistoricallydidnotallsharewhatwassupposedtoconstituteareligion,suchascreed,deity,ritual,ortext.Those
thatwishedtopromoteHinduidentityconsequentlyhadaproblemthatappearsasthereverseofChristianitysinthesecular

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age.[11]Theyhadtoasserttheexistenceofacommonreligionandgiveitanoverarchingstatuswhen,formorethana
millennium,therewaslittlethatlinkedthevarioussectsandfaithsinthesubcontinent.Exceptfortwothings,however,
whoseimportancehasvariedovertime.OnewastheinvisiblethreadthatunitedcasteHindusagainstsocalled
untouchablecastes.[12]
Andtheotherwastheideaofanexternalenemy,suchasChristians,secularists,andaboveallMuslims.
HeretheMay2014electionsinIndiaprovideanintriguingtwist.AHindunationalistpartynowruleswithanabsolute
majorityinParliament.AlthoughModiisaccusedoftreatingthemassmurderandrapeofMuslimsinGujarat,whenhewas
chiefministertherein2002,asapoliticalplatformratherthanasalawandorderissue,thiselectoralvictoryhasgenerally
beendefinedasavoteforgoodgovernanceandformarketreforms.[13]
MeanwhiledevelopmentisproclaimedtohavereplacedHindunationalism,albeitbymeansofpublicprivatepartnerships
ratherthanthroughthestateassuch.ThechangehasallthesignsofaPRmakeover.Andwithaparliamentarymajority,the
emperorhasnewclothes,eveniftheyhavelatelybeenabitmuddied.
Inatraditionwhererealityisbeyondwordsandthetruthhasnoessence,almostanythingcanbesaidaboutitthereisin
factnoreligiousdoctrineassuchtochallenge.Hinduismasconjuredforthepoliticalprocesstodaysurpassesdialectical
materialismitisthemostexpansivephilosophicalsystemconceivable,ifitcanbecalledone.Insuchacontext,the
categoryofreligionpresentsanopportunityratherthanaproblem:tobeHinduisanartifactofpublicityratherthanan
expressionofancientmores.ItisnosurprisethataseniorpartyleaderhasstatedthatHindunationalismisanopportunistic
issuefortheBJP,atalkingpointratherthanacoreideology.[14]
Infact,theelectoralprocesshassanctionedanewlanguageofpoliticaltheologyfortheBJP.InhisMadisonSquareGarden
speechinNewYorkinSeptember2014,NarendraModireferredtothepeopleassovereignandtheirverdictasdivine.He
declared,JanataJanJanardhan,suggestingthatthewillofthepeopleprevailsovertheworld.ButJanardhanisnota
seculartermforruleritreferstotheHindugodLordKrishna.Electoralsuccessprovidesthesupremeredemptioninthis
understanding,negatingmerelyjuridicalverdicts.Itimpliesdivinewillatwork,orisactuallythemanifestationofdivine
powerinthefigureoftheelectedruler,whoislikethekingbutsanctifiedbyaformaldemocraticprocess.
WesternsecurityexpertsunderstandIslamismasacaseofblowbackintheMiddleEastandelsewhere,butHindu
assertionusuallydoesnotappearontheirradar.Rhetoricallydeftandprocedurallyscrupulous,seniorleadersdenyHindu
identitywhilerelyingonitsuseintheircampaigns.Westernpoliticalanalyststypicallyassumeaconfessionalmodelofthe
politicalpartybutmostparties,andcertainlythoseinIndia,centeraroundleaders,ahistoryandanidentitytheideologyis
flexible.Worldlypower,notmartyrdom,isthegoal.
Politicalauthorityistheendtowardswhichthisnewkindofreligiousidentityiscreated,applicableacrosscastegroupings
thatnotlongagowereexcluded,prominentlytheformerUntouchablecastesthatconstituteaboutaquarterofthe
population.Thereisnoexacthistoricalparallelforthisevent.Othermajorreligiousidentitiesincontemporarytimeseither
preexistorhavecoexistedwiththeirpoliticalmanifestation.[15]
NopreviouspartyhascometopowerbyexcludingMuslimssocompletely.MeanwhilethesituationofMuslimshassteadily
worsenedoverthelast30years.Duringthistime,theyhavereplacedtheDalit(orformerUntouchablecastes)asthemost
deprivedcommunityinIndia.[16]
AtentativehypothesiswecanofferforthechangestakingplaceisthatIndiansocietyisdemocratizing,butinaHindu
way.IfasB.R.Ambedkarhasargued,HinduunityisconstitutedbycasteHindussharedaversiontowardsUntouchable
castes,electoraldemocracyhasintroducedanewdynamicintothisprocess.[17]TheexclusionofMuslimsfrompolitical
visibilityisaccompaniedbytheincreasingpoliticalvisibilityofDalits.ThenewbasisforHinduunificationistheexclusion
ofMuslims,alongsidetheformalsubsumptionofDalits.Theregisterofexclusionshiftsintheprocess,fromuntouchability
toinvisibility.Mediaexpansionenablesmorecoordinatedandextensiveformsofexclusionthanwerepreviously
imaginablepoliticaldynamicshavebothanticipatedthisdevelopmentandfurtheredit.

ChildreninVaranasiwearingModimasks(April24,2014).Source:TheNation/
http://www.thenation.com/article/181643/whatindia?page=0%2C2
TheEssays
ParthaChatterjeesessayopensthiscollectionofessayswithhisanalysisoftheelectionwhoseoutcomeisfrequently
describedasadecisiveascendancyofnationaloverregionalparties.Infact,hepointsout,regionalpartieshavegained
slightlyintheoverallbalance,whiletheshifthaslargelyoccurredduetosupportersoftheerstwhilerulingCongressParty
havingcrossedovertotheBJP.MeanwhileanAmericanmodeofelectioneeringhasbecomeprevalenthenotes,onethat
characterizestheupstartAamAadmiPartyaswellastheBJP.
LouiseTillindeepensChatterjeesanalysisinshowinghowtheregionalpartiesthatcontributetotherulingallianceatthe
Centerhaveincreasedinnumberbutdecreasedinsize,oftenhavingbarelyahandfulofseats.Thenationalhasinthe

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processacquiredadensityandforcenotexplainedsimplybyreferencetothevictoriouspartysvotesharesomethingmore
isatwork.[18]
AsNalinMehtaexplains,therewerepoliticalstrategies,partytactics,organizationalgambitsandindustrylogicsatwork
here,allcombinedinthereferencetothewordmedia.NoonehadregardedModiascharismatic:hehadbeenaparty
apparatchikuntilthe2002riotsshowedhimanopportunitytoseizethelimelight.Hemanagedtohandletheviolencein
suchawaythathisimagebegantosellpapersregardlessofthecontent.Modisucceededinturningthemostnegative
publicityanypostindependenceleaderhaseverhadintothemostpositiveimagewithinhardlyadecade.Fewcomparable
featsofpromotionalalchemyexist.Criticaltounderstandingthisdevelopment,Mehtaexplains,istheformandcharacterof
mediagrowthoverthelastdecadeandahalf,wherebybusinessandpoliticalforceshaveconvergedinsuchablazeoflight
thattheirindividualidentitieshavemergedintosomethingnew,whichModihasexploitedwithgreatskill.
ShrutiKapilaimaginativelyopensupthisterrainwithherargumentthattheIndiansocialisirrevocablyalteredbyB.R.
AmbedkarsinitiativeforconstitutionalprotectionofformerUntouchablecastes.Homoequalisistherebyposedalongside
homohierarchicus,therebylimitingthewaysinwhichthesocialcanbemediatedandmobilized.Thisintroducesa
contingentelementintothepoliticsofHindunationalism,shesuggests.Althoughastatutorypoliticalmajorityappearsto
havebeenprovenforHindutvainthelatestelections,sheargues,itisinthesocialterrainthatthisclaimislikelytounravel.
GopalGuruposesaparadoxofdemocracyasseenfromtheviewpointoftheDalit,whoseformofinclusionwithinaHindu
democracycouldhardlybewithoutcontradiction.Gurupointsoutthatdespitemorethansixdecadesofelectoral
democracy,Dalitsareelectedonlythroughconstituenciesreservedforthem,whilenoneareelectedfromgeneral
constituencies.Theirsocialmarginalityfindsitsreflectioninaformofpoliticalrepresentationthatisitselfcordonedoff
fromthegeneralprocessofrepresentationbyaquotasystemthatmakesDalitsintoatoken,notoftheirintrinsicmerits,but
ofuppercastemagnanimity.ThepoliticalchallengerepresentedbyDalitstouppercastehegemonyappearstobe
neutralized.Indirectvisualconfirmationcanbefound,Guruargues,inthefactthatDalitspokespersonsavoideyecontact
withthecamerawhenspeakingtothenewsmediatheysignaleithertheirsubjectiontothepartieswhomtheyostensibly
speakfor,ortheirrefusaltobeincorporatedintothenew,mediatedHindupopulismtakingshapeinIndia.
AakarPatel,aMumbaibasedcolumnist,closesthePeriscopewithareflectiononthecurrentlandscapeofIndianpoliticsin
thewakeofModiselection.
ArvindRajagopalisProfessorofMediaStudiesatNYU,andisanaffiliatedfacultyintheDepartmentsofSociology,and
SocialandCulturalAnalysis.Intheyear201011,heisafellowattheCenterforAdvancedStudyintheBehavioral
SciencesatStanford.HisbooksincludePoliticsAfterTelevision:HinduNationalismandtheReshapingofthePublicin
India(Cambridge,2001),whichwontheAnandaKentishCoomaraswamyPrizefromtheAssociationofAsianStudiesand
theDanielGriffithsPrizeatNYU,bothin2003,andTheIndianPublicSphere:StructureandTransformation(Oxford,
2009).HehaswonawardsfromtheMacArthurandRockefellerFoundations,andhasbeenaMemberintheSchoolof
SocialSciencesattheInstituteforAdvancedStudyinPrinceton,NewJersey,andattheWoodrowWilsonInternational
CenterforScholarsinWashingtonDC.Inadditiontohisscholarlywriting,hehasalsopublishedinforumssuchthe
SSRCsImmanentFrameandopendemocracy.net,andinnewspapersandperiodicals.

Footnotes:
[1]Horace,Satires1.1.6970.
[2]IhavediscussedsomeaspectsofModiscampaigninmyessayTwoTyrantsintheAgeofTelevision.Economic
andPoliticalWeekly,Feb22,2014,pp.1215.
[3]
ArvindKejriwal,theleaderoftheAamAadmiParty,isaformerbureaucratandamemberoftheinfluentialAgarwal
tradingcaste.KejriwalgainedhispoliticalreputationthroughpopularanticorruptioncampaignsledbyaGandhian
figure,AnnaHazare.SeemyessayVisibilityasaTrapintheAnnaHazareCampaign,EconomicandPolitical
Weekly,Nov19,2011,pp.1921.
[4]SeeRajkamalSingh,GillesVernierandNehaYadav,SixchartsthattellyouwhatsdifferentaboutthenewDelhi
assembly,Scroll.in,Feb13,2015.Athttp://scroll.in/article/706177
[5]TheDelhiStateAssemblyelectionresultsin2015mayofcourseleadtoachangeintheBJPsstance.
[6]ThiswasthetitleofapopularmonthlycomicbookpublishedbytheCatholicGuildfrom1946to1972.Thephrase
alsocapturesthespiritofEisenhowerscriticismsofSovietCommunism,whenhecharacterizedtheUSColdWar
struggleasawaroflightagainstdarkness,freedomagainstslavery,Godlinessagainstatheism.SeeStephenE.
Ambrose,Eisenhower,vol.2,p.40.NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1984.
[7]ThishasahistorythatpredatestheColdWar,tobesure.IfinWesternEurope,theEnlightenmentclaimed
freedomagainstpoliticalabsolutism,thisclaimwasunavoidablyagainstreligiouscontroltoo.IntheU.S.bycontrast,
religiousdissidentsdemandedfreedomofworshipaswellastaxationwithrepresentationnaturallawwasgodgiven
andanchoredAmericanclaimsofuniversalism.
[8]TherelevantevidenceispresentedinA.G.Noorani,SavarkarandHindutva:TheGodseConnection.NewDelhi:
LeftwordBooks,2004.
[9]ThesecharacteristicscanbeseenliterallyacrosstheColdWareraintherelevantstudiesoftheRashtriya
SwayamsevakSangh(RSSthenametranslatesasNationalVolunteerCorps),whichhashistoricallybeentheseedbed
ofHindunationalistpoliticaltendenciesinthepostindependenceperiod.Seee.g.,J.A.CurranJr.,MilitantHinduism
inIndianPolitics:AStudyoftheRSS(NewYork:InstituteofPacificRelations,1951),andWalterK.Andersenand
ShridharDamle,BrotherhoodinSaffron:RashtriyaSwayamsevakSanghandHinduRevivalism(Boulder,Colorado:
WestviewPress,1987).

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[10]Iprovideadetaileddiscussionofdevelopmentsinthe1980sand90sinPoliticsAfterTelevision:Hindu
NationalismandtheReshapingofthePublicinIndia(Cambridge,UK:CambridgeUniversityPress,2001).
[11]Itcouldbearguedthatitwasnotuntiltheemergenceoftheabsolutiststateinthe17thC.followingtheTreatyof
WestphaliathatChristiansbegantofindtheircommondifferences.Thesubjectdeservesmorespacethanisavailable
here.
[12]SeeAnupamaRao,TheCasteQuestion:DalitsandthepoliticsofmodernIndia.Berkeley,CA:Universityof
CaliforniaPress,2009,Chapter3.
[13]IhavediscussedtheGujaratviolenceinSpecialPoliticalZone:UrbanPlanning,SpatialSegregation,andthe
InfrastructureofViolenceinAhmedabad,inSouthAsianHistoryandCulturev.1,n.3,2010,pp.529556.
[14]ArunJaitley,currentlythemostpowerfulministerinModiscabinet,wasrevealedinthewikileaksIndiacablesto
havetoldtheU.S.DeputyChiefofMissioninIndia,RobertBlake,thatHindunationalismwasanopportunisticissue
fortheparty,onethatwouldhowever,alwaysbeatalkingpoint.TheconversationwasonMay6,2005,following
theBJPsdefeatinthe2004nationalelections.SeeSureshNambath,Hindunationalismisopportunistic,said
Jaitley,TheHindu,March27,2011.http://www.thehindu.com/news/theindiacables/hindunationalismis
opportunisticsaidjaitley/article1572119.ece.AccessedAugust10,2014.
[15]Spaceforbidsanexaminationofthechangesthecategoryofreligionissubjecttohere.Sufficeittosay,firstly,
thatitisontheonehandaheuristicinanalysisandontheother,astrategyintermsofitspoliticalformation.Herewe
canmarktherelevanceofpostWestphalianandHobbesiandevelopments,thatarebothhistoricalandtheoretical,and
thatsanctifyreligionasbothanexpressionofconscienceandaslimitedtotheprivatesphere.Thissourceofcredibility
clearlyacquiresanewsalienceamidstlegitimationcrisesofthestate,andpoliticalresponsestothesecrises.
[16]SeethedataprovidedintheJusticeSacharCommitteeReportfromtheMinistryofMinorityAffairsat
http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/sites/upload_files/moma/files/pdfs/sachar_comm.pdf.Dalit,awordthat
meanscrushedorbrokentopieces,isapoliticalidentitythatformerUntouchablecastesutilize,bywayof
resignifiyingtheirstigmatizedstatus.
[17]SeeB.R.Ambedkar,TheAnnihilationofCaste,1944.
http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/02.Annihilation%20of%20Caste.htm.
[18]Withafirstpastthepostsystem,thepartywiththelargestnumberofvoteswinsinagivenconstituency,
althoughitsvotesharemightbeasmallfractionofthetotalvote.Nationally,theBJPin2014obtainedlessthanathird
ofthepopularvote,butithasmorethanhalfofallParliamentaryseats.Bycomparison,whentheCongresswonin
1984,ithad49%ofthepopularvote.
Tags:BJP,Hindunationalism,Indiandemocracy,Indianelections,NarendraModi,populism

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