LIVE PODCST: In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning discuss how security threats present themselves in a multitude of forms. This week we look at a threat that mixes belief with nationalism. This threat is most obvious in its homeland where the movement was conceived.
But its devotees have migrated to countries all over the world. When confronted by others within their communities, they respond with threats that by degrees… become more sinister.
We are talking about Hindutva nationalism, a right wing movement which has its political epicentre in India.
In the United States of America, a network of universities had organised a virtual conference to discuss Hindutva’s rise. The Washington Post reported this month “the backlash was swift and staggering”.
It added: “Nearly a million emails were sent to universities in protest, the virtual event’s website was attacked and forced offline, organisers reached death and rape threats”, and pro-Modi government media in India said the event was “Hinduphobic and fostered hate against the community”. ref. Washington Post.
And in New Zealand – where this South Pacific nation suffered the tragedy known as the March 15 white supremacist attacks that killed 51 Muslim people while they met for Friday prayer – concerns are now emitting from within the vibrant Indian communities that Hindutva nationalism is growing.
As Stuff.co.nz reported this month, a professor at New Zealand’s Massey University, Mohan Dutta, has spoken out against Hindutva’s far right messages.
Professor Dutta has received hate messages relegating his concerns as promoting Hinduphobia.
Again as Stuff reported, Professor Dutta has received threats such as: “Bootlicker”, “brown servant”. “If you were in India you would be burnt… We should do anything in our power to stop him.” ref. Stuff.co.nz
So should we consider Hindutva as simply a right wing nationalistic political movement, with networks all over the world? Or does it pose a serious and growing threat to security?
—
You can comment on this debate by clicking on one of these social media channels and interacting in the social media’s comment area. Here are the links:
If you miss the LIVE Episode, you can see it as video-on-demand, and earlier episodes too, by checking out EveningReport.nz or, subscribe to the Evening Report podcast here.
The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication.
Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category. You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
Well worth a listen (including you Curwen). And lest anybody think it hasn’t got a firm foothold in ‘lil ‘ole NuZull that punches above its weight, it has.
Buchanan has some good advice on how to handle it all at the end of the podcast. Mahuta should be up for it if anybody is
Is there an Indian point of view from an Indian here in NZ?
I can think of 2. Anu Koloti and Bharti Kaloti.
2 really spectacular people @ Denny. I think they’d prefer to keep their powder dry though if only because they’ll do more good that way, and if not that, because of their modesty and because they’re truly compassionate and kind people.
Oh how the Labour party has fallen! even though it probably remains the least worst option.
Agree absolutely. They are great people. Humble I guess you could say.
Welcome to the new NZ, where everyone is welcome and you don’t have to worry about silly NZ rules or customs. Meanwhile your bros overseas totally endorse you spreading the word of your religion/creed including burning/harming/excluding all heretics here in the name of your Kool aid! Bring the family, make it a party!
I’m sure there is millions of government help and money available to be given to all the burgeoning religious/other groups in NZ for ‘cultural’ counselling and rehabilitation. Proceeds of crime, diversity budgets and mobster rehabilitation are all overflowing with resources and donations for ‘charities’ who often are at the ERA for ghost or false jobs bringing people into NZ.
All this support is making NZ increasingly popular for extremist groups to operate here under the radar! I mean it’s racist to investigate (sarcasm) and don’t even think about deporting anyone committing crimes here or being of good character.
Instead NZ gives terrorists and criminals and liars amnesty, with our neokindness approach and virtue signalling that has become prevalent here. Sadly this kindness and help seldom extends to any of their law abiding victims!
Instead of cleaning up this space and changing the law to make overseas extremists harder to get into NZ or stay here, the woke are instead focusing on laws to stop and criminalise free speech and likely to fill the entire country up with paperwork and police/justice work, instead of concentrating on real death/harm threats from individuals and organised individualist think tanks, sending out 1000 threats to university professors doing their jobs.
Don’t forget in France, the teacher was beheaded by this type of thinking, where the girl did not even attend the class, lied to her parents and others to ‘impress’ them and get attention. Then the extremist family took this false information and made legal complaints against the teacher and social media campaigns which led the murderer to behead the teacher.
.
Samuel Paty: French schoolgirl admits lying about murdered teacher
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56325254
This type of incident is not going to help our teaching crisis on top of everything else where teachers are now a target if they speak freely and potentially ‘offend’ others.
Meanwhile the disastrous government approach to terrorism, seem to be trying to stop free speech to stop hate speech and erode civil rights for law abiding NZer’s.
Should be the opposite approach!
Everyone should have the right to express themselves with free speech and the onus is on those offended to control themselves and their murderous and harmful thoughts and actions!
I am not informed about the extent of Indian concerns. I had thought that their standing in the world was high with much respect. Yet in their politics nationalistic and religious fervour seem to have heightened.
I have yet to watch the podcast and see why, within India, there are divisions.
Largely it’s a counter to political Islam Grey, a reaction to concerns going right back to the bloody Moghul occupation of India. Given the ongoing incursions and mayhem going on around the world today from that, the most extreme far right religo-nationalist ideology, hardly surprising. The Pakistani support for the Taliban and claims on Kashmir are adding fuel to the fire as is persecution of Hindus – and Christians, Buddhists and Jews come to that.
Well, what you said there rhymes so well with what India’s Hindutva nationalists are preaching.
However, for those who have learnt to keep our tribal instincts in check, to understand the fascist forces facing India of today, one needs to go back to the time before India got independence when the Hindu Mahasabha was established, these folks borrowed heavily from Stalin and Hitler’s doctrine, it’s even reflected in their attire, organisation and salutes even now.
In today’s time, they are being largely funded by Indian plutocrats, so it’s capitalism mixed with nationalistic jingoism of a fervour that’s never been seen on this scale before.
Here’s a fairly good analysis by Arundhati Roy for those who want to understand this objectively, cause with the increasing Hindu population in NZ, it soon going to be our problem too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3U9ElWpkWg
good writings
Comments are closed.