Civil society is one of the areas where those observing india who have concerns about where things are going. The government introduced a citizenship amendment act to fasst track citizenship applications by refugees and migrants from our neighbouring countries. It specifically spelled out the religion that would be eligible for false tracking. And what was striking about this was it was a way of saying to one particular community in india, you are here on sufferance, not by right. That's why the indignation of the book is called the battle of belonging.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP party came to power in 2014, India has seen an increase in Hindu nationalism and a rise in hostility towards the Muslim minority population. Politician and writer Shashi Tharoor believes the country is at a crossroads. His recently published book, The Struggle for India’s Soul, looks at the political direction of the world’s second most populous nation, which he contends is splitting into two opposing factions: ethno-religious nationalists and liberal civic nationalists. If the ethno-religious nationalists prevail, he says, millions of non-Hindus would be stripped of their identity. Tharoor joins historian, author and broadcaster Rana Mitter to discuss the book and what lies ahead for India.
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