Thread by @sankrant

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard Trying to map Western political and religious categories onto India creates errors.

If mapped on issues Modi would be Left of US Democrats. He enabled universal health for low income families, led global climate initiatives and created massive scholarships for Indian Muslims.

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard The category error comes from assuming “Hinduism” is like religion and so there are “Hindu fundamentalists.” Hindu fundamentals are pluralism, it can’t map to religion.

Also a legacy of colonial discrimination, when Christians & Muslims ruled, continues.
google.com/amp/s/m.rediff…

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard To understand what is happening in India one needs to look at it with the lens of anti-colonial struggles.

After independence power transitioned to an English-speaking landed elite who continued a colonial legacy. Modi represents the anti-colonial struggle.

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard But the Indian interlocutors whom the West relies on are part of the English-speaking landed elite who have been in power for decades. Their angst is in the rise of the native.

E.g. only about 10% of Indians speak English but in most High Courts you can only use English!

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard The demonization of BJP and Modi follows a long pattern in the West as well of demonizing native cultures and peoples as “savages” when they appear to challenge Western hegemony.

sankrant.org/2014/04/dead-p…

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard The Left in the West really need to pause and ask—the Indian elite demonize Modi, a self-made man who overcame great odds of poverty and social class to be India’s PM, and favor the colonial dynasty of Nehru-Indira-Rajiv-Sonia-Rahul—what’s wrong with this picture?

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard In the context of the French Revolution the so-called “Left” in India represent the colonial aristocracy while the so-called “Right “ represents the native resistance of the masses. Now who is Left and who is Right?

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard How much of the demonization of Tulsi Gabbard is also based on attacking her for being openly Hindu. Would the same wolfpack be after her if she were openly Muslim, e.g.? Reflect.

@ggreenwald @TulsiGabbard This is why Obama gets a pass for praising Modi and Tulsi gets targeted. She is “dangerous” as a Hindu. What if more people started doing Yoga or something. Scary.