Author: Eviane Leidig
Affiliation: University of Oslo
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Policy
Date/Place: January 21, 2020, Washington.
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1636
Keywords: Kashmir, Hindu-nationalism, MEP’S.
Brief:
The author talks about the ever-evolving nature of the far-right, which is seen acquiring a global nature. The author makes this comment in the context of October 2019, when 23 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited Kashmir, just two months after the Indian government removed the region’s special autonomous status. The move sparked controversy when it was learned that most of the MEPs belonged to far-right political parties, including France’s National Rally (formerly National Front) and Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The move raised many eyebrows because it came at a time when foreign journalists and domestic politicians were barred access to the region, and the Indian-administered government had imposed an internet shutdown since August. The author traces the link between far-right ideologies in these regions, back to the 1930’s when one of the pioneers of Hindu nationalism, V.D. Savarkar, once wrote that India should model its approach to its “Muslim problem” on that used by the Nazis to deal with their “Jewish problem.” Similar narratives by European ideologues like Savitri Devi, equating Hindu god Vishnu with Hitler are still popular. Although the visit of the MEPs was widely criticized in the international community for flouting diplomatic norms, it signals a new development in Indo-European relations: Far-right narratives have become part of the global mainstream. The far-right in these two regions are learning from each other, and their abilities to govern according to a shared ideological agenda rooted in Islamophobia are evolving in parallel.
By: Usman Khan Pathan, CIGA Research Associate
