Watch | The Left's Accidental Gift to Hindu Nationalism?
Pavan Korada
Real journalism holds power accountable
Since 2015, The Wire has done just that.
But we can continue only with your support.
What if the intellectual blueprint for Hindu Nationalism wasn't written by its most obvious proponents? This is the story of how well-intentioned academic ideas, designed to decolonize the Indian mind, inadvertently provided the weapons now used against the Indian Republic.
Based on the groundbreaking work of scholar Meera Nanda, this video investigates the "strange bedfellows" – the connection between postcolonial theory and the rise of Hindu nationalism. We break down the four key charges:
How the academic critique of "mental slavery" was weaponised to label any opposition as anti-national.
How relativizing truth created a vacuum for state-backed superstition and pseudo-science to thrive.
How the argument that secularism is alien to India gave birth to the political jibe of "pseudo-secularism."
How idealizing "authentic faith" created an argument where the feelings of the majority can crush the rule of law.
This isn't a story about blame. It's a warning about the unintended political consequences of ideas. From university seminars to political rallies, we trace a dangerous intellectual lineage that led to a chilling parallel: the intellectual climate of Germany's Weimar Republic.
The fight for India's future requires a rigorous defense of reason and the constitution. It requires us to think.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
