The revival of Hindu nationalism in India is posing an existential threat to the Indian Muslims, gradually stripping them off their freedom and safety. It is sabotaging the social fabric weaving diverse Indian culture, eroding democratic norms and transforming secular nature of its constitution.  BJP’s quest for populism and a majoritarian Hindu state, are inspired by Hindutva ideology, at the heart of which lies the ‘otherization’ of Muslims.  Modi administration has done robust Hindu nationalist changes in India and has attempted exploitation of ethnic fault lines to mobilize domestic political opinion as a strategy to secure major Hindu constituencies. Therefore, rise of Hindu nationalism could be a major part and parcel of Modi’s straight three electoral successes.

The Masjid-Mandir clash has become a renewed ethno-religious flashpoint of Hindu-Muslim tensions in India, compounding further to the agony of the Muslims. The recurring source of tensions and Hindu-Muslim riots in post-partition history is Masjid-Mandir issue. India’s secular constitution is once again placed under test through recent petitions by the Hindu nationalist BJP members, challenging Place of Worship Act enacted in 1991, which states to maintain the status and character of places of worships as of 15^th August 1947, however, Babri Masjid was exempted from this law. Since 1992, this mosque was the most contested and highlighted, a 16^th century old- mosque, built at the site of the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama in Ayodhya, as claimed by Hindus. It was demolished by a radical Hindu mob, affiliates of RSS in 1992. In 2019, India’s top court awarded this site to Hindus and once again triggering Hindu-Muslims divide.

A report by Amnesty International reveals that between April and June 2022, 128 structures primarily owned by Muslims were demolished which include the demolition of a mosque in Delhi, a madrasa in Uttarakhand and multiple Muslim homes in Assam. In 2021, a century-old mosque was torn down in Uttar Pradesh’s district while in 2023, a 16th-century mosque in Prayagraj also in Uttar Pradesh was demolished as part of a road widening project. If this law again turns in the favor of Hindus, it further marginalizes and delineates the major minority of India, comprising 14.2% of its population. It seems that Hindu nationalists under PM Modi, will not allow Muslims to either live peacefully or even live in India.

Otherizing Muslims is one of the core tenets of Hindu nationalism. Modi sarkar, being the politico-religious ideologue of Hindutva, wants to assert Hindu supremacy, eliminate Muslim minority and establish a Hindu Rashtrya (Hindu nation). To transform India into a Hindu Rashtrya, PM Modi has introduced perilous policy measures against Indian Muslims which treats them as second-class citizens. By far the most contentious policy measure that can be linked back to this agenda is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was enacted in December 2019. This act provides inclusion for refugees residing within India from its three neighboring nations, but only of those who are non-Muslim: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

These exclusions have led many to worry that the CAA along with the newer proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), will make many Indian Muslims into stateless individuals. As an agency that seeks to deport undocumented immigrants, many Muslims believe that it is a deliberate attempt to either deport Muslims from India or to treat them as subordinate citizens. The agency asks citizens to produce legal documents from the time of immigration which they do not possess. This two-fold approach of the government fears Muslims of institutional religious discrimination taking place while straying far away from the secular India.

The revocation of Article 370 and 35A on 5th August 2019 seems a step to achieve its Hindu nationalist goal of restoring Akhand Bharat. This article was part of Indian constitution and came into effect in October 1949, which extended special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. India not only repealed Article 370, but also ensure its institutionalization. In 2019, Indian Supreme Court upheld the decision of concluding this special autonomous status of Kashmir and instead split it into federally governed territories. Following this, Hindu Indians were granted authority to buy lands and settle in Kashmir while also documenting Kashmiris as Indians. This move was seen as driven by a strategy of demographic change that aimed at displacing the region’s Muslim majority. It also further deepened the gap between Indian government and the Muslims and Kashmiris are now experiencing increased military presence, human rights violation and crackdown on dissent.

The rise of Hindu nationalism is not merely confined within the political and religious bounds but extends beyond to societal level. It openly invites and promotes bigotry, anti-Muslim rhetoric, sentiments and propaganda, hate speech, hate crimes, mob-lynchings and what not. The level of religious discrimination has elevated to such a point where Muslims are unable to feel secure around Hindus; be it workplace, educational institutes, roads, gatherings or any such place surrounded by Hindus. For instance, A mother in the northern city of Agra, pulls out her son claiming that she felt societal tremors of religious biasness though her son, where his classmates were calling him out as ‘Pakistani terrorist’. She explained how India’s secular and diversified culture is plagued with Hindu nationalists today under PM Modi.

Governments come and go but constitutional authority prevails. What is happening right now in India is not constitutionally accepted and the guarantors of justice must ensure the secular nature of Indian constitution while also promote harmony if not unity in diversity. The contemporary domestic situation of India is also its litmus test of being largest democracy or even a simple democracy, its diverse culture and a notion of transforming secular India into a hyper-nationalist one.