Shushe: mahatma gandi has become a somewhat controversial figure in india to day. Leading figures of the government have made slightly ambivolent towards him, he says. He was indeed a very devout hindu, absolute, no doubt about that - Shushe. But he interpreted his hinduism as one that was inclusive and accepting of difference from other faiths,. including buddhism and Sikhism.
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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