An International Affair: Hindu Nationalism and the U.S. Right with Prachi Patankar

In this episode, Koki interviews Prachi Patankar, an anti-caste and feminist writer and organizer, to discuss Hindu Nationalism, or Hindutva, a little understood but large and well-resourced movement that has transnational influence on U.S. politics and culture. Prachi explores the connections between Hindu nationalism, White supremacy, and other supremacist ideologies.

In the diaspora, including in the U.S., caste hierarchy persists. However, Hindu and dominant caste immigrants in the U.S. fall within the over-simplified group, “people of color.” Prachi discusses how this simplified narrative of race in the U.S. obscures the ways in which Hindu and dominant caste groups can perpetuate supremacist ideology, all while claiming a marginalized racial identity. She argues for more nuanced analysis of race and caste and argues for the importance of a multiracial, multifaith, pro-democracy movement to challenge all supremacist ideologies and create broad solidarity among oppressed communities. 

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Vivek Ramaswamy Represents the Convergence of White Supremacy and Hindu Supremacy — And He May Well Be Trump’s Running Mate, Usha Kumar, Religion Dispatches, 2023
• The Global VHP’s [Vishwa Hindu Parishad / World Hindu Council] Trail of Violence, Savera: United Against Supremacy, Savera, 2024
• The Hindu Nationalists Using the Pro-Israel Playbook, Aparna Gopalan, Jewish Currents, 2023
• The Trauma of Caste, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Penguin Random House, 2022
• Bulldozer Justice and the Indian State’s Lawlessness, Harsh Mander, The Caravan, 2024

Pink Revolutions: Globalization, Hindutva, and Queer Triangles in Contemporary India, Nishant Shahani, Northwestern University Press, 2021

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Brahmin Supremacy, Caste Hierarchy, Casteism, Global Right Wing, Hindu Nationalism, Hindu Supremacy, Hindutva, Indian Far Right, Transnational Politics, White Nationalism