Rise of Hindutva Ideology in India Poses a Serious Threat to Minority Rights and Secular Identity.Report

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), driven by an ideology of Hindu nationalism, have created intense pressure and an identity crisis for religious minorities.

According to a recent investigative report on Hindutva, the ideological narrative promoted by the RSS is imposing an artificial and prejudiced religious identity on society, with few parallels in the country’s past. The report points out that the concept of “Akhand Bharat” is fundamentally centred on establishing the dominance of a particular group, while the basic rights of followers of other religions are allegedly being restricted.

Prominent Christian political activist Dr. John Dayal expressed concern over the situation, saying that the founders of Hindutva had envisioned a Nazi-style state in which political and social power would remain concentrated in the hands of a single group. According to him, the implementation of this ideology is rapidly shrinking the space for Muslims, Christians and other minorities in India.

Political and social experts say that the alleged state-level patronage of Hindu nationalism during the Modi government has raised serious questions about India’s secular and democratic identity, posing significant threats to religious harmony across the region.