The ruling political party is the BJP. They've been in power since 2014 and the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is right wing Hindu nationalist. Its perspective is that India is a majority Hindu country and hence it's the interests of Hindus that need to be preeminent. Laws against slaughtering cattle, anti-conversion legislation and bans on headscarves have legitimized discrimination against religious minorities,. especially Muslims.
Most people watch RRR and see one of the greatest action epics in the history of cinema. But some see an insidious brand of Hindu nationalism that’s been creeping into Indian culture.
This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shaprio, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram, who also edited.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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