Facets of India’s Illiberalism
Résumé
Since 2014, India’s illiberalism has found expression in the authoritarian politics of the Modi government. Since then, checks and balances have declined, dissenting voices have been repressed, and the concentration of power (including economic power) in the hands of a few people has increased. This new orientation relies on an ethno-nationalist ideology, Hindutva, that is embodied in a century-old movement, the RSS, which has developed a huge network across society (including a student union and a labor union). This network comprises vigilante groups that—backed by the ruling party, the BJP—routinely target religious minorities, including Muslims. Anti-individualism, the social dimension of the Hindu nationalist brand of illiberalism, translates into hierarchies inherited from the caste system. Gender relations are also articulated in a traditionalist manner. Society being seen as a living organism, the state is not supposed to play a major role in this brand of illiberalism.