Ganesh Devy has spent decades documenting India’s hundreds of distinct languages. Up next: a 12,000-year history of India he hopes will help counter the government’s Hindu-first campaign.
Tag Archives: Hinduism
Desperate to Flee Attacks, Kashmir Hindus Say Officials Lock the Exits
Decades after militant violence forced Hindus out of the disputed region, they have been shaken by an intensifying string of targeted killings.
India’s Dangerous New Pattern of Communal Tensions
As a national campaign by right-wing groups inflames local tensions, Muslim communities are facing the harshest punishments, according to activists, analysts and retired officials.
Yogi Adityanath’s Election Win Raises His Profile Across India
Yogi Adityanath’s return as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is fueling talk that he might succeed Narendra Modi as prime minister one day, and continue to advance their Hindu political movement.
No Hijabs for Now, Indian Court Tells Muslim Students
In a dispute that’s become a flash point over minority rights, students are told to avoid religious garments of all kinds, pending a ruling on whether schools can ban head scarves.
In India, a Bellwether for Narendra Modi as Voters Head to Polls
While many voters say they are concerned about the economy, the prime minister’s party has placed a focus on religion, with often polarizing effects.
As Officials Look Away, Hate Speech in India Nears Dangerous Levels
Activists and analysts say calls for anti-Muslim violence — even genocide — are moving from the fringes to the mainstream, while political leaders keep silent.
Celebrating the ‘Great Night of Shiva’ in Kathmandu
Every year, thousands of celebrants gather at a temple complex in Nepal’s capital in honor of Shiva, one of Hinduism’s most revered gods.
India Cities Ban Eggs, Drawing a Backlash
Food-cart rules spurred by conservative beliefs draw a backlash, showcasing the tensions around the country’s rising Hindu nationalist movement.
Inside a Volcanic Ritual on the Indonesian Island of Java
During the Hindu ceremony of Yadnya Kasada, the Tenggerese people toss offerings — food, money, flowers, livestock — into the hazy crater of Mount Bromo.
India’s Treatment of Muslims Erodes Its Moral High Ground
The hard-line attitude of Narendra Modi’s ruling party toward Muslims has undermined the nation’s reputation as a voice for tolerance in South Asia.
Bangladesh Strengthens Security as Violence Targets Hindu Festival
Paramilitary forces were deployed across much of the country after the worst communal violence in years targeted dozens of Hindu gatherings.
Kashmir Seeing Surge in Militant Attacks, Two Teachers Are the Latest Victims
The killings on Thursday were the latest in a series of attacks largely targeting Hindu and Sikh civilians in Kashmir, where tensions are high after India revoked the region’s autonomy two years ago.
‘They Are Manufacturing Foreigners’: How India Disenfranchises Muslims
Persecution in a remote Indian province spawned Modi’s new draconian citizenship law.
A Fierce Election Tests Modi’s Campaign to Remake India
The prime minister’s party is vying to dethrone a powerful politician in West Bengal. Even a close race could demonstrate the growing reach of his Hindu nationalist movement.
Cow Curriculum Becomes India’s Latest Ideological Battleground
The Hindu nationalist government postponed plans for a national student exam on cows that critics said used specious claims and substituted religion for science.
Director of Amazon’s ‘Tandav’ Cuts Scenes After Pressure From India’s Hindu Nationalists
Faced with boycotts and criminal complaints, the director of “Tandav” made the edits this week. But that did not appear to satisfy some of the show’s critics, who called for him to be jailed.
Amazon’s ‘Tandav’ Show Angers India’s Hindu Nationalists
Artists say officials tied to the country’s ruling party use pressure to stem criticism. Streaming services hoping to tap the Indian market’s potential have been caught in the middle.
Police in India Make First Arrest Under New Interfaith Marriage Law
A Muslim man was held under a state law passed to address accusations by Hindu nationalists that women are being lured into marriage in order to convert them to Islam.
A Muslim-Hindu Kiss Puts Netflix India in the Crosshairs
Nationalist leaders decry scenes in the show “A Suitable Boy” between a Hindu and a Muslim, at a time of rising interfaith conflict and government efforts to control online content.
Staying Apart, But Praying Together
As the coronavirus surges again, houses of worship in New York struggle to serve their communities safely.
Why India’s Muslims Reach for Liberalism
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes Hindus more equal than religious minorities, Muslims seek equality from the secular Constitution, not Shariah.
India’s Modi Urges Virus Vigilance as Hindu Festival Season Nears
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his nation that the coronavirus situation in India was stable, but that “we must not let it deteriorate.”
Indian Court Acquits Hindu Leaders of Demolishing Historic Mosque
The 1992 destruction of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu nationalists sparked sectarian violence in a country where Muslims feel increasingly oppressed.
Museum in India Celebrating Muslim Dynasty Gets a Hindu Overhaul
A planned museum in Agra on the Mughal rulers and their culture is to be renamed for a Hindu warrior-king and refocused on Hindu history, as a nationalist revival sweeps the country.
Modi Founds a Temple on Mosque’s Ruins, in Triumphal Moment for Hindus
In a ceremony in Ayodhya, a past flash point for sectarian violence, India’s prime minister offers his Hindu nationalist base a clear symbol of ascendancy.
Poor and Desperate, Pakistani Hindus Accept Islam to Get By
Drawn by jobs or land offered by Muslim groups, some Hindus, facing discrimination and a virus-ravaged economy, are essentially converting to survive.
India Offers Escape to Afghan Hindus and Sikhs Facing Attacks
Members of the dwindling minority communities, gutted by recent deadly violence, welcomed an emergency exit but expressed worry that what would await them in India is poverty.
India Rounds Up Critics Under Cover of Virus Crisis, Activists Say
The Indian authorities arrested dozens of people during a nationwide lockdown. Human rights groups say many of the detentions are based on scant evidence.
Hindu God in a K-Pop Video? Blackpink Runs Afoul of Fans
A tempest over the band Blackpink’s use of a Hindu god in a video was the latest example of K-pop fans holding artists to account — while staying fiercely loyal.
Worried About Coronavirus, India Tries to Head Off a Mass Hindu Pilgrimage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges Indians to stay home at a time when hundreds of thousands of Hindus usually try to gather at Ayodhya.