THE age of technology has redefined propaganda, making misinformation a potent tool of national power.
However, when propaganda is rooted in psycho-political fantasies, it can backfire.
India under Prime Minister Modi, a devoted follower of the RSS, exemplifies this phenomenon, where historical grievances and ideological revisionism converge to transform secular India into a Hindu Rashtra.
India’s geopolitical trauma—particularly regarding the Northwest Frontier, now Pakistan—remains a core psychological driver.
The RSS was born from this trauma and continues to influence Modi’s efforts to reshape India’s identity, history and media in line with radical Hindutva ideals.
This ideology is rooted in revanchism and seeks to undo centuries of perceived humiliation under foreign rule.
The subcontinent’s long history of external empires—from Persians and Hellenistic powers to Muslim dynasties and European colonizers—culminated in the partition of British India.
The RSS remains in denial of this historical rupture, treating the creation of Pakistan not as a reality but as an affront to a unified Hindu civilization.
For Hindutva adherents, Pakistan’s existence evokes deep insecurities—a “nightmare of the Northwestern” that symbolizes territorial loss and historical subjugation.
This psychological trigger persists despite India’s rising global status.
Ironically, the RSS’s dream of Hindu resurgence, anchored in militarism and ultra-nationalism, clashes with the evolving 21st-century international order.
American support no longer provides Modi with a decisive edge and the Hindu revivalist project appears outdated and polarizing.
Islam occupies a central place in the RSS’s political imagination—both as a historical adversary and as a contemporary scapegoat.
Islam’s presence in the subcontinent reshaped its strategic and cultural framework, introducing the concept of jihad, which enabled ethnic groups like the Pashtuns to emerge as empire-builders—unlike earlier Persian, Hellenistic or Buddhist influences.
This fighting ethos remains a challenge to Hindutva’s hegemonic aspirations, as Islam continues to influence power dynamics in and around India.
India’s contrasting responses to crises with Pakistan and China reflect its militarized mindset, especially under RSS influence.
The Modi administration’s ideological posture—grounded in anti-Islam sentiments—has had little real impact on India’s economic rise, which stems largely from demographic and geographic advantages.
Western interest in India is driven by markets and geopolitics, not by Modi’s leadership.
His misreading of structural international dynamics as personal achievements fuels a dangerous self-deception, pushing India toward regional instability.
Revoking Article 370, promoting messianic nationalism and indulging in delusional worldviews reveal deep ideological contradictions.
India’s vision of replacing the US-led order with an Indian-centric world is not only unrealistic but also threatens the shared Asian vision of peace and prosperity.
This illusion must be countered through collective regional resolve.
—The writer is associated with Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia) and is a former lecturer, Department of International Relations, National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan. (mrimrankhan@uop.edu.pk)
