Nationalist Dangers, Secular Failings : A Compass for an Indian Left

Wherever there has been the rise of rightwing populist forces it has taken the form of an authoritarian nationalism. This collection of essays written between 2017 and the end of 2019---a period marked by ominous developments domestically and globally---while theoretically explaining the distinctive power of nationalism, also focuses on how and why the politics and ideology of Hindutva has come to occupy the space it has. The author rejects the view that India's Constitution and, more generally its pluralist social make-up, provides enough resources for a successful Liberal fightback against this danger. He argues that the path to confronting and defeating this largely unrecognized and twinned challenge of Neoliberal Capitalism--HIndutva requires the construction of a newer and re-energised Indian Left.