Abstract

GIACCAGLIA, Clarisa  and  DUSSORT, María Noel. The Religious Policy of Narendra Modi's Government. Past and Present of the Bharatiya Janata Party Regarding Interreligious Conflicts in India. rev.relac.int.estrateg.segur. [online]. 2018, vol.13, n.2, pp.215-243. ISSN 1909-3063.  https://doi.org/10.18359/ries.3295.

In the 2014 national elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party lead by Narendra Modi could form government for the first time in the history of India without the Indian National Congress' support. For four years of administration, the new government seems to have maintained certain continuity with traditional national goals, although religious policy could be an exception. The aim of this article is to identify how political and religious ideas of politicians have influenced the religious policy in India. For this purpose, we apply a qualitative methodology with a hermeneutic, descriptive approach. Accordingly, we consider the different perspectives of India's founding fathers, main scholars and important politicians. It is concluded that the religious policy developed by Modi's government has reinforced the discussion over India's identity based on two opposing stands: a syncretic and secular India or a Hinduism supremacy-based country. Such controversy becomes more relevant given the political and security repercussions it may have regionally and nationally.

Keywords : Bharatiya Janata Party; Hinduism; India; Indian National Congress; Narendra Modi; politics; religion.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )