A nation’s character is often reflected in its treatment of minorities, the vitality of its opposition parties, the freedom of its media, and, last but not least, the robustness of its civil society. But the story on our eastern side is the complete opposite, where the government of RSS extremists has legalized the persecution of minorities. The so-called Indian secularism and the title of being the world’s largest democracy have now been replaced with the crushing of democratic institutions, the rise of crony capitalism, and the suffocation of fundamental freedoms. Contemporary India, under the Modi administration, has transformed from being a secular democracy into a majoritarian state.
Modi’s politics has always been based on the exploitation of minorities, the decline of democracy, and the promotion of autocracy. His legacy is forever stained by the 2002 Gujarat massacre, where he, as the Chief Minister, presided over the brutal killing of over 1,000 Muslims. For this, the civilized world rightly called him the “Butcher of Gujarat.” Yet, in a tragic perversion of justice, he leveraged this communal bloodshed to become the supreme leader of a majoritarian movement, trading accountability for absolute power.
The Indian media’s negative role in hiding the Modi government’s anti-minorities, anti-democracy policies will be remembered as a dark chapter.
His hypocrisy knows no bounds. The BJP’s ideological master, the RSS, once prided itself on discipline and principle, enforcing a retirement age of 75 for its elders. Modi has now grotesquely trampled that very rule, exposing the organization as a hollow vessel for his cult of personality. For Modi, rules are for subordinates, not for the king. By breaking the RSS’s age rule, he has proven that before his ambitions, there is no law, no tradition, no constitution. Today, India stands at a crossroads.
Muslims have been lynched in the name of “Gau Raksha” (cow protection). Christians have been attacked in churches, schools, and villages. Dalits have been humiliated and denied justice. The CAA/NRC made religious discrimination part of the law. The “Bulldozer Policy” has demolished Muslims’ homes without due process. India’s foundation, which was “Unity in Diversity,” has been broken.
Heavy militarization in Kashmir has made it the world’s largest open-air prison. Article 370 was revoked, stripping Kashmir of its autonomy. The entire valley has been turned into a military garrison. Journalists, activists, and politicians have been imprisoned without trial. Internet shutdowns have crippled education and livelihoods. The promise of democracy has been turned into occupation and oppression.
Opposition leaders have been jailed using the ED, CBI, and UAPA. Journalists have been raided, harassed, and branded as “traitors.” Freedom House has classified India as “Partly Free.” India ranks among the lowest countries in the World Press Freedom Index. A living democracy has been turned into an electoral autocracy.
On the economic side, the story is no different, as the world’s largest economic market and diplomatic clout have also been eroded. Unemployment is at a 45-year high. Farmers are drowning in debt; thousands have committed suicide. Demonetization and GST destroyed small businesses. India ranks 111th on the Global Hunger Index; the HDI has also declined. Crony capitalism is thriving: Adani and Ambani grow richer, while the public goes hungry.
The Indian media’s negative role in hiding the Modi government’s anti-minorities, anti-democracy policies will be remembered as a dark chapter. The portrayal of Narendra Modi as an “indispensable leader” on his 75th birthday is not journalism; it is state-sanctioned propaganda designed to mask a grim reality. Modi is not a leader but an autocrat, and his rule represents not the preservation of Indian democracy but its systematic dismantling.
Last but not least, Modi’s foreign policy legacy is a story of national humiliation, defined by the catastrophic military defeat of May 2025 and a complete collapse of India’s diplomatic standing.
On Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday and with his third term as the Premier of India, can regional countries and the Indian public truly afford to survive peacefully under his rule? For many, his leadership represents not protection but the greatest threat, making a change in leadership inevitable.
The writer is a freelance columnist and contributes regularly on issues concerning national security.