Intellectual decay: Hindutva, Mob Politics and the Capture of India's Democratic Imagination How majoritarian nationalism can turn culture into political propaganda, normalise vigilantism and weaken the public's capacity for independent thought. There is a form of political decay more dangerous than ordinary corruption. It does not merely steal public money, manipulate elections or weaken the opposition. It gradually alters how people understand reality, whom they regard as fellow citizens, what they consider acceptable behaviour and whether they are still capable of questioning the political movement they support. This is the deeper danger posed by the institutionalisation of Hindutva politics in India. The term brain rot, used here in a political and intellectual sense, describes a deterioration of critical reasoning, public discourse and the willingness to question authority. It is not a clinical diagnosis of individuals, nor a claim that Hindu religious belief itself produ...
Islamophobia is not merely a problem confined to one country; it is a growing concern across the globe. Yet, in India, it has become entangled with politics, media narratives, and the selective interpretation of religion and culture. During the COVID-19 pandemic, not wearing a mask could invite penalties because public health demanded collective responsibility. Yet, when it came to Muslims, sections of the media and those driven by Hindutva ideology selectively constructed narratives, turning an entire community into a target of suspicion and hostility. A public health crisis became an opportunity for communal polarisation. Facts were often overshadowed by prejudice, and the dignity of ordinary people was sacrificed at the altar of political propaganda. India is a land of countless gods and goddesses, magnificent festivals, elaborate rituals, grand processions, and deeply rooted spiritual traditions. Yet, what does the abundance of religious observance mean if it does not translat...