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print version22 April 2014
This appears in the 23rd April edition of the Independent (UK)
As the people of India vote to elect their next government, we are deeply concerned at the implications of a Narendra Modi-led BJP government for democracy, pluralism and human rights in India.
Narendra Modi is embedded in the Hindu Nationalist movement, namely the RSS and other Sangh Parivar groups, with their history of inciting violence against minorities. Some of these groups stand accused in recent terrorist attacks against civilians.
We recall the extreme violence by the Hindu Right in Gujarat in 2002 which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. This violence occurred under Modi’s rule, and senior government and police officials have provided testimony of his alleged role in encouraging or permitting it to occur.
Some of his close aides have been convicted for their involvement, and legal proceedings are ongoing in the Gujarat High Court which may result in Modi being indicted for his role. He has never apologised for hate speech or contemptuous comments about various groups – including Muslims, Christians, women and Dalits. His closest aide has been censured recently by India’s Election Commission for hate speech used in this election campaign.
There is widespread agreement about the authoritarian nature of Modi’s rule in Gujarat, further evidenced by the recent sidelining of other senior figures within the BJP. This style of governance can only weaken Indian democracy.
Additionally, the Modi-BJP model of economic growth involves close linking of government with big business, generous transfer of public resources to the wealthy and powerful, and measures harmful to the poor.
A Modi victory would likely mean greater moral policing, especially of women, increased censorship and vigilantism, and more tensions with India’s neighbours.
Prof. Chetan Bhatt, London School of Economics
Dr. Rashmi Varma, University of Warwick
Dr. Murad Banaji, University of Portsmouth
Dr. Leena Kumarappan, London Metropolitan University
Dr. Subir Sinha, School of Oriental and African Studies
Prof. Phiroze Vasunia, University College London
Prof. Srirupa Roy, University of Göttingen
Prof. Shirin Rai, University of Warwick
Dr. Kalpana Wilson, London School of Economics
Dr. Sumi Madhok, London School of Economics
Dr. Bishnupriya Gupta, University of Warwick
Dr. Amrita Shodhan, School of Oriental and African Studies
Dr. Navtej Purewal, University of Manchester
Dr. Anandi Ramamurthy, University of Central Lancashire
Dr. Brenna Bhandar, School of Oriental and African Studies
Dr. Amit S. Rai, Queen Mary, University of London
Dr. Priyamvada Gopal, University of Cambridge
Dr. Meena Dhanda, University of Wolverhampton
Dr. Hugo Gorringe, University of Edinburgh
Prof. Gargi Bhattacharyya, University of East London
Prof. Barbara Harriss-White, University of Oxford
Prof. Pritam Singh, Oxford Brookes University
Dr. Dwijen Rangnekar, University of Warwick
Rohit K Dasgupta, University of the Arts London
Prof. Gautam Appa, London School of Economics
Prof. Patricia Jeffery, University of Edinburgh
Prof. Jairus Banaji, School of Oriental and African Studies
Dr. Goldie Osuri, University of Warwick
Prof. Gurminder Bhambra, University of Warwick
Dr. Shamira A. Meghani, University of Leeds
Prof. Amrita Dhillon, King’s College London
Dr. Rachel Harrison, School of Oriental and African Studies
Prof. Pablo Mukherjee, University of Warwick
Dr. Srila Roy, University of the Witwatersrand
Dr. Vedita Cowaloosur, Stellenbosch University
Dr. Alessandra Mezzadri, School of Oriental and African Studies
Dr. Dibyesh Anand, University of Westminster
Dr. Nitasha Kaul, University of Westminster
Dr. Bhabani Shankar Nayak, Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr. Talat Ahmed, University of Edinburgh
Karthikeyan Damodaran, University of Edinburgh
Nilina Deb Lal, University of Edinburgh
Nikki Dunne, University of Edinburgh
Prof. Bashabi Fraser, Edinburgh Napier University
Dr. Radhika Govinda, University of Edinburgh
Mary F. Hanlon, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Christopher Harding, University of Edinburgh
Gaia von Hatzfeldt, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Delwar Hussain, University of Edinburgh
Bethany Jennings, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Shishir Nagaraja, University of Birmingham
Daniel O’Connor, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Kanchana N. Ruwanpura, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Eurig Scandrett, Queen Margaret University
Lauren Wilks, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Richard Whitecross, University of Edinburgh
Prof. Gilbert Achcar, School of Oriental and African Studies
Dr. Sharad Chari, University of the Witwatersrand
Dr. Steve Taylor, Northumbria University
Dr. Shakuntala Banaji, London School of Economics
Dr. Sukhwant Dhaliwal, University of Bedfordshire
Supurna Banerjee, University of Edinburgh
Catriona Ellis, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Rowan Ellis, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Anderson Jeremiah, University of Lancaster
Maggie Morrison, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Anindya Raychaudhuri, University of St Andrews
Dr. Sharika Thiranagama, Stanford University
Dr. Joya Chatterji, University of Cambridge
Ravi Hensman, University of Manchester
Dr. Maan Barua, University of Oxford
Dr. Rahul Rao, School of Oriental and African Studies
Prof. Nandini Gooptu, University of Oxford
Dr. Nayanika Mookherjee, Durham University
Dr. Uday Chandra, MPI-MMG, Göttingen
