Hindutva, the Aryan supremacist ideology, has historically destabilized South Asia, making it prone to foreign invasions. Rooted in a desire for absolute control over the subcontinent, it has disrupted the delicate regional consensus that sustained empires, leading to cycles of internal strife and external conquests. Hindutva’s radical impulse has persistently fractured South Asia’s geopolitical fabric. Its co-option with British colonialism, however, has proved far more disastrous, as it not only perpetuated imperial divide-and-rule strategies but also militarized the region’s ecological lifelines, pushing it toward environmental collapse. While pretending to be the custodian of sub-continental civilization, Hindutva actively fuels instability in its neighbourhood by flaring sectarian and ethnic divisions and even indulging in subversive activities like assassinations. The rise and fall of past South Asian empires illustrate how fragile the balance of power has been when driven by exclusionary ideologies. The Gupta Empire (319-550 CE), forged through an alliance between the Aryans and the Lichhavis (a Himalayan community), flourished as long as it upheld a multi-ethnic consensus. The Lichhavis, as part of the Vajji confederation, which controlled an area extending from the Gangetic plains to the foothills of Nepal, were among the non-monarchical, republican clans of northern India that had conflicts with the expanding Aryan kingdoms. The Vajji confederation, which included the Lichhavis, existed around the 6th century BCE in the region of present-day Bihar and Nepal. It was a powerful political entity with a unique republican system of governance, contrasting with the hereditary monarchies of the Indo-Aryan kingdoms. However, when the Aryans sought unilateral dominance, the empire crumbled, opening the gates to centuries of foreign incursions. A similar trajectory followed the Mauryan collapse, where internal divisions created vulnerabilities that were exploited by external forces. India’s political history from the fall of the Gupta Empire (6th century CE) to independence in 1947 can be seen as a long period of foreign rule, with different indigenous groups either participating in or being excluded from power structures. The new consensus in 1947, which led to independence, brought together major ethnic and regional groups – Aryans, Jats, Rajputs, Tamils, and others – while the Himalayan communities largely remained on the periphery of mainstream Indian politics. Hindutva’s modern resurgence mirrors these historical patterns, but its co-option of British colonial structures has escalated the scale of destabilization to unprecedented levels. Unlike previous invaders who assimilated into South Asia’s political and cultural fabric, the British institutionalized Aryan hegemony by embedding Hindutva-driven nationalism within the state apparatus. This led to a rigid, militarized governance model that prioritized control over coexistence. The British departure left behind not a harmonious subcontinent but a deeply fractured one, where Hindutva forces inherited imperial tools to further their supremacist ambitions. Unlike past rulers who respected the ecological sanctity of the Himalayas and the river systems, Hindutva has aggressively militarized these natural lifelines, disrupting regional stability and marginalizing neighbouring states. This unrestrained quest for dominance has transformed South Asia from a historically fluid and interdependent region into a battleground of nationalist rivalries, with Hindutva playing a central role in alienating Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and even sections of its population. Its aggressive policies have turned the Himalayas – a source of ecological balance – into a geopolitical fault line, as India’s militarization of water resources has intensified disputes with its neighbours. The unchecked exploitation of these ecological assets has pushed the region toward a tipping point, where climate-induced disasters and resource conflicts threaten its very survival. Hindutva’s post-independence strategy towards its neighbours appears to be eating into their ecological strength, weakening them systematically to absorb them into India at an opportune moment. Its interventionist policies undermine regional autonomy, exacerbating vulnerabilities that have long kept South Asia strategically unstable. The most alarming consequence of Hindutva’s alliance with colonial legacies is the impending environmental collapse. The once-thriving Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river systems, which sustained civilizations for millennia, are now increasingly weaponized to serve India’s strategic interests. The indiscriminate construction of dams and diversion of water flows have aggravated ecological imbalances, affecting not just India but its neighbours. These disruptions, coupled with deforestation and reckless urbanization, have made the region one of the most vulnerable to climate change, a crisis that no amount of militarization can contain. While the West initially reinforced India’s role as a counterweight to China, it is becoming evident that Hindutva’s reckless approach is eroding South Asia’s long-term strategic stability. The very strategy that once secured India’s geopolitical prominence is now exposing its vulnerabilities. In contrast, China’s shared prosperity model and the West’s emphasis on sustainable development present an alternative path-one that Hindutva continues to reject in its pursuit of Aryan hegemony. The future of South Asia hinges on whether it can break free from the destructive cycle of Hindutva-driven exclusion and embrace a cooperative regional framework. Just as past empires collapsed when they abandoned inclusive governance, Hindutva’s dominance may ultimately bring about its downfall. However, the cost of its persistence is perilous – this time, it is not just political unity at stake but the very ecological foundation that sustains life in the subcontinent. If South Asia is to avert catastrophe, it must dismantle the supremacist impulses that have long plagued it and prioritize environmental and geopolitical stability over ideological extremism. The writer is an Islamabad-based veteran journalist and an independent researcher. He can be reached on Twitter @riazmissen