The Guardian view on Narendra Modi’s landslide: bad for India’s soul – Editorial
The biggest election in history has just been won by one man: Narendra Modi.… Despite a spluttering economy five years later, Mr Modi seems certain to have expanded his parliamentary majority. This is bad news for India and the world.
The BJP is the political wing of Hindu nationalism, a movement that is changing India for the worse. Little wonder, as it stands for the flagrant social dominance of the upper castes of Hindu society, pro-corporate economic growth, cultural conservatism, intensified misogyny, and a firm grip on the instruments of state power. The landslide win for Mr Modi will see India’ s soul lost to a dark politics – one that views almost all 195 million Indian Muslims as second-class citizens.
On the campaign trail Muslims were denigrated as “termites” by Mr Modi’ s right-hand man. Off it, they were lynched with apparent impunity. Despite their number, Muslims are political orphans, shunned by a political class fearful of losing support from the majority Hindu population. Before the election Muslims held just 24 seats in parliament, about 4% of the total, and the fewest the community has held since 1952. This is likely to shrink further.…
SEE ALSO:
- I’ve Reported on Modi for Over a Decade. His Hindu Nationalist Ideas Will Be Even More Dangerous Now – By Rana Ayyub (May 24, 2019, Time)
http://time.com/5595576/modi-victory-hindu-nationalism/ - Amitabh Pal: Modi win bodes ill for India, world – By Amitabh Pal (May 24, 2019, The Spokesman)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/may/24/amitabh-pal-modi-win-bodes-ill-for-india-world/ - The 2019 vote: an intoxicating verdict – By Harish Khare (May 24, 2019, The Hindu)
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-2019-vote-an-intoxicating-verdict/article27226777.ece - A New India Has Emerged and Narendra Modi Is Its Voice – By Sidharth Bhatia (May 24, 2019, The Wire)
https://thewire.in/politics/election-results-2019-narendra-modi-new-india
