AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, is now mainstream. Nobody has done more to advance this cause than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most beloved and polarizing political leaders.
And no entity has had more influence on his political philosophy and ambitions than a paramilitary, right-wing group founded nearly a century ago and known as the RSS.
“We never imagined that we would get power in such a way,” said Ambalal Koshti, 76, who says he first brought Modi into the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the late 1960s in their home state, Gujarat.
Modi was a teenager. Like other young men — and even boys — who joined, he would learn to march in formation, fight, meditate and protect their Hindu homeland.
A few decades earlier, while Mahatma Gandhi preached Hindu-Muslim unity, the RSS advocated for transforming India — by force, if necessary — into a Hindu nation. (A former RSS worker would fire three bullets into Gandhi’s chest in 1948, killing him months after India gained independence.)
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Maui to hire expert to evaluate county's response to deadly wildfireNo sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials sayWNBA to use charter flights full time in upcoming season, addressing player safety concernsAir Vanuatu files for bankruptcy protection after canceling more than 20 flightsAfter Weinstein's case was overturned, New York considers strengthening sex crime prosecutionsSuns fire coach Frank Vogel after getting swept out of the playoffs in the opening roundJapanese game maker Sega Sammy sells resort to US fundArkansas lawmakers adjourn session, leaving budget for state hunting, fishing programs in limboInside Jackass star StevePrince Harry and Meghan are in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and highlight mental health
3.3345s , 6501.7421875 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by India election 2024: Hindu nationalism is mainstream thanks to 10 years of PM Modi ,World Winds news portal