ISLAMABAD: A study by the Journal of Democracy has warned that the Hindu nationalism under extremist Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all about the attempted marginalization of a minority, namely Muslim Indians, on the ground of their religious beliefs.
The research study comprising of 18 pages titled “Hindu Nationalism and the New Jim Crow,” authored by Ashutosh Varshney, a professor at Brown University of the United States, draws parallels between the marginalization of black Americans under Jim Crow and the attempts to marginalize Muslims in India under Hindu nationalism.
It said “if Jim Crow was about the severe marginalization of black Americans on the ground of their race, then Hindu nationalism under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is about the attempted marginalization of a minority, namely Muslim Indians, on the ground of their religion.”
According to the study Hindu nationalism, under Narendra Modi, is portrayed as a form of marginalization based on religion, with specific examples such as the changes in Kashmir’s autonomy and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) targeting Muslims.
It noted both Jim Crow and Hindu nationalism aim to diminish the equal citizenship of minorities with examples of the stripping of Kashmir’s special autonomy, reducing it to a “union territory,” and the introduction of the CAA, which opens a “fast track” to citizenship for non-Muslims.
The study further identified similar methods of exclusion, including discriminatory laws, segregation, and state-supported violence, are identified. To substantiate its claims the study gave examples of the CAA, which specifies only Muslim-majority countries for religious persecution, and the proposal for a National Registry of Citizens, disproportionately affecting Muslims.
The study delved into the historical context, emphasizing the attempt to marginalize a religious minority based on religion. Specific examples regarding the BJP’s narrative portraying Muslims as historical invaders and changing names to remove Muslim influences in India were also given.
Jim Crow, Hindu nationalists seek relegation of monitories
The research said both Jim Crow and Hindu nationalists seek relegation of monitories to second-class citizenship with examples such as anti-“love jihad” ordinances that prevent interfaith marriages, portray Muslim men as a threat, and the demolition of Muslim properties in BJP-run states.
The study described Hindu-Nationalist Project as being in its early stages, with examples such as the BJP’s electoral victories in 2019 leading to anti-Muslim moves like the changes in Kashmir’s status and the CAA.
According to the study both Jim Crow and Hindu nationalism have exclusionary ideologies grounded in racial hierarchy or a religiously defined national community.
The understanding of national loyalty is explored in the study with examples like the BJP’s assertion that only Hindus can be true Indians and historical reasoning, including the idea of “thousand years of slavery.”
It said exclusionary ideologies have both economic and social dimensions and gave examples of desire to maintain cheap labor, opposition to social equality, and fears of political power among marginalized communities.
The study suggested that the Hindu-nationalist project is still in its early phases, providing an opportunity for voters to influence events. It added there was a need to understand the looming threat and take measures by the international community and Indian voters to shape the future political direction and prevent the institutionalization of a Jim Crow-style order.
The Journal of Democracy, established in 1900, is an influential international forum for scholarly analysis and competing democratic viewpoints. It is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, USA.
The journal monitors and analyzes democratic regimes and movements around the world.
