Introduction: From Local Ideology to Global Blueprint

When we speak of Hindutva, the conversation often remains confined within India's geographical and political borders. But what if this is a fundamental misreading of its nature and potency? Through the incisive analysis of scholars like Dr. Nitasha Kaul, a more disturbing picture emerges: Hindutva is not an isolated phenomenon but a potent and exportable form of majoritarian politics, perfectly adapted to the anxieties of our global moment.

This blog post argues that Hindutva, as practiced today, represents a sophisticated political project that shares a core DNA with other "strongman" regimes worldwide. It is a global majoritarian project that skillfully blends religious identity, economic interests, and a nostalgia for a purified past to consolidate power, often at the expense of democratic norms, minority rights, and social cohesion.

The Core Ingredients of the Global Majoritarian Formula

Dr. Kaul identifies a recognizable pattern among leaders like Modi, Trump, Duterte, Orbán, and Erdoğan. Their rise reflects a convergence of strategies that Hindutva exemplifies:

1. Electorally Legitimated, But Not Democratically Robust: These leaders come to power through elections, leveraging democratic systems to gain legitimacy. However, once in power, they work to erode the very pluralistic and institutional foundations of democracy. The goal is to transform a temporary political majority into a permanent cultural majority, where loyalty to a monolithic national identity supersedes all other political considerations.
2. The Toxic Cocktail: Nationalism + Crony Capitalism: A key insight is the marriage of fervent nationalism with neoliberal economics. While rhetorically challenging global elites ("neoliberalism"), these regimes actively enable crony capitalism. The state becomes a tool to reward loyal corporate interests, creating an oligarchic class whose fortunes are tied to the regime's survival. Economic discontent is then redirected toward cultural "outsiders."
3. The Messianic Leader and the Glorious Past: Central to the project is messianism—the cult of the infallible leader who alone can rescue the nation. This is coupled with a powerful narrative of return. For post-colonial nations like India, it's a return to a pre-colonial, nativist golden age. For Western nations, it's a return to imperial nostalgia ("Make America Great Again"). This past-as-future narrative offers simple solutions to complex problems and dismisses dissent as betrayal of the national soul.
4. Misogyny as a Core Strategy: Dr. Kaul powerfully notes that misogynist authoritarianism is not a side effect but a core component. The strongman persona is built on hyper-masculinity, the control of women's bodies, and the promotion of patriarchal family structures as the bedrock of the nation. This serves to mobilize a base, define social order, and marginalize progressive voices.

How Hindutva Executes This Playbook

Hindutva embodies this global playbook with distinct characteristics:

1. Creating the Cultural Majority: It actively constructs a unified Hindu vote bank by papering over vast internal differences of caste, class, and region. This is achieved through a political theology that frames history as a civilizational struggle, where Hindus are a perpetual victim-majority in need of awakening and consolidation.
2. The Diaspora as Amplifier and Bankroller: The global Hindu diaspora plays a dual role: as a powerful lobbying and narrative-shaping force in countries like the US and UK, and as a source of significant financial support. This transnational network helps mainstream Hindutva ideas and defend the regime internationally.
3. Weaponizing Grievance and Metaphysics: Debate is moved from the political to the metaphysical. Opponents are not just wrong; they are "evil," "anti-national," or a threat to the "soul of the nation." As Dr. Kaul observes, when suffering from economic policies like demonetization is framed as a necessary sacrifice for the nation's soul, data and rational critique become irrelevant. It becomes a theological battle where compromise is heresy.
4. The "Fractured Electorate" Victory: Crucially, Hindutva often gains power not with an overwhelming majority, but by uniting a core base (around 30-40%) in a deeply fractured political landscape. It then uses state machinery and narrative control to rule as if it has an overwhelming mandate.

The Global Consequences and Interconnections

This is not happening in a vacuum. The rise of Hindutva and its ideological cousins is facilitated by:

1. The Crisis of Liberal Democracy: Widespread disillusionment with establishment politics and rising economic inequality create fertile ground for populist alternatives.
2. Digital Authoritarianism: The use of troll armies, fake news, and sophisticated social media campaigns to harass opponents, spread propaganda, and create a false consensus is a shared tactic.
3. The Retreat from Global Norms: A shared isolationist impulse—be it "America First" or "Atmanirbhar Bharat"—leads these regimes to undermine international frameworks on human rights, climate change, and multilateral cooperation. They see sovereignty as absolute, not cooperative.

Dr. Kaul points to the explicit solidarity between followers of Trump and Modi, a tangible sign of this global right-wing interconnection. They see themselves as part of a common fight against liberal globalism, secularism, and multiculturalism.

Conclusion: Recognizing the Pattern to Forge a Response

Understanding Hindutva as a global majoritarian project is crucial for an effective response. It moves the discussion beyond cultural specificity to reveal a dangerous political model that is replicable and resilient.

The fight against it, therefore, cannot be localized. It requires:

1. Solidarity across borders between movements defending democracy, pluralism, and human rights.
2. A focus on political economy, exposing the crony capitalist deals that fuel these regimes.
3. Support for independent media and civil society under siege.
4. A compelling, inclusive counter-narrative that addresses legitimate economic grievances without scapegoating minorities.

The challenge, as framed by thinkers like Dr. Kaul, is to reclaim idealism—not as naivete, but as the courageous commitment to dream of and work for a world where democracy means more than majoritarian rule, and where no one's truth is erased in the name of a single, capital-T Truth. The global playbook of majoritarianism is being read aloud; our task is to write a different, more hopeful story.