New Delhi: Secularism as principle and practice in India is in “danger”, but “forces of hatred” cannot alter the country’s secular character, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor told PTI in an interview on his new book ‘The Battle of Belonging’.
In the book, Tharoor makes a stinging critique of the Hindutva doctrine, asserting that it is a political doctrine, not a religious one.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Q. In your book you have vehemently argued against the Hindutva idea of India. But with BJP’s meteoric rise and electoral success, would you concede that a majority of the country is not against Hindutva as many liberals make out to be. What are the reasons for Hindutva’s popularity?
A: I don’t agree, because the 37 per cent vote won by the BJP last year is not a majority! Yes, Hindutva has successfully exploited fear of the ‘Other’, just as most…
