At a time when the significance of regional peace and economic prosperity are interlinked, the geopolitical ambitions and the desire of domination by one state over its neighbors ridden with the extremist Hindutva ideology \u2013 that has taken a hold of it \u2013 are endangering the peace and stability of South Asia. A considerable military power with an extremist ideology at the wheel has fomented the overzealous mob rule with the brute force of Hindu majoritarianism and a divisive Hindu-first agenda. The extreme ideologies of radical Hinduism such as Hindutva and Akhand Bharat have instigated the Hindu majority to take a harsher stance towards the minorities, which is ruthlessly authoritarian. The same ideology is seen to be affecting the military strategic thinking, turning it to become dangerously jingoistic and belligerent.
\nThe extremist Hindutva ideology has taken the centre-stage, fanning the flames of intolerance in the form of lynching, the reconversion campaigns through Ghar Wapsi and Love Jihad that has become a new normal, greatly stigmatizing the Indian minorities \u2013 particularly Muslims. The history books are being rewritten with the sections on Muslim rulers being lopped out, official names of locations are being changed from Muslim to Hindu and there\u2019s aggressive contestation on the Holy sites. Such actions propelled by populist leaders and backed by an extremist ideology are not only furthering the divide between the sections of the society but also cultivating an overall culture of hate, violence and prejudice. This menace of violent domination is not limited solely within the confines of Indian state; it has over-stepped in other countries as well. Not only Pakistan but other countries in the region are also equally facing the perils of rising Hindutva.
\nThe region needs to be well aware of the dangers posed by an aggressive Indian power with a hegemonic mindset; rather the idea of a Greater Hindustan with its expansionist proclivities, which is pushing India in an increasingly \u2018aggressive\u2019 posture. This mindset often causes friction in its relations with the neighboring countries, raising questions about India\u2019s ambitions in the region. In few cases, the smaller neighboring countries have found it hard to formulate independent foreign and economic policies due to the looming Indian threat.
\nThe hijab ban is another strike on the Indian secular outlook that India is losing rapidly. Hijab ban has once again highlighted Modi\u2019s hatred of the Muslim minority. In the past, during 2002, Modi was the mastermind of Gujarat\u2019s massacres to eliminate the resistance of Muslims proudly. Ethnic democracy and authoritarian approach is defining the future contours on Indian policy with intolerance and discrimination as its key pillars. Forcing Muslim women to give up their hijab is a clear violation of Article 25 of Indian constitution which guarantees religious freedom and forbidding them from entering classrooms infringes upon Article 21(A) & Article 15 which give assurance of the right to education and prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth respectively. On 15 March 2022, a three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court upheld the state government\u2019s ban on Hijab in schools and colleges on the grounds that wearing it was not essential in Islam.
\nThe discriminatory verdict makes a mockery of India\u2019s so-called liberal and secular credentials under Modi\u2019s Hindutva-inspired regime that protected and pleased Hindu majority.
\nTherefore, India not only violates its constitutional article on religious freedom but also being a signatory to several international conventions, violates Article 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that stress on freedom of thought and conscience and religion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At a time when the significance of regional peace and economic prosperity are interlinked, the geopolitical ambitions and the desire of domination by one state over its neighbors ridden with the extremist Hindutva ideology \u2013 that has taken a hold of it \u2013 are endangering the peace and stability of South Asia. A considerable military […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1188,408],"class_list":{"0":"post-255450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial","7":"tag-hindutva","8":"tag-south-asia"},"yoast_head":"\n