Modi's India — Hindu Nationalism in Power
Narendra Modi's landslide victory in May 2014 (BJP won 282 seats outright; NDA coalition won 336 of 543) ended ten years of Congress-led coalition government and marked the first time since 1984 that a single party had won a parliamentary majority. Modi campaigned on 'Gujarat model' development, anti-corruption, and national pride — but the BJP's political base was organised Hinduism and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the parent organisation of Hindutva ideology. Economic policies: The first term included demonetisation (November 2016) — sudden withdrawal of 86% of currency in circulation, causing economic disruption and hardship while ostensibly targeting black money — and the Goods and Services Tax (July 2017), a major structural reform unifying India's fragmented indirect tax system. Infrastructure investment expanded substantially: highways, railways, electrification. India overtook UK to become the world's fifth-largest economy under Modi's tenure. Constitutional changes: The revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution (August 2019) withdrew Jammu & Kashmir's special autonomous status and split the state into two Union Territories — accompanied by a communications blackout and mass detentions. The Citizenship Amendment Act (December 2019) created a pathway to citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan — but excluded Muslims, which critics argued violated India's secular constitution. Foreign policy: Modi repositioned India from Nehruvian non-alignment toward strategic autonomy — maintaining defence ties with Russia (S-400 purchase) while deepening partnerships with the US, Japan, and Australia (Quad). India's global profile rose; it assumed G20 presidency in 2023. Press freedom indices (RSF, Freedom House) recorded consistent decline; dozens of journalists faced sedition or terrorism charges. The CAA triggered the largest sustained protest movement since independence (December 2019 – March 2020). Violence against minorities — particularly lynchings of Muslims over cow protection — rose with limited prosecution. These trends drew sharp international criticism while Modi's domestic approval ratings remained high.
- Year: 2014 CE
- Category: Political
