By S.M. Inam
India is facing an ideological and diplomatic crisis rooted in the hardline doctrine of Hindutva, a worldview that has steadily reshaped the country’s politics and global standing. A state that continues to describe itself as the world’s largest democracy now increasingly resembles an exclusionary Hindu majoritarian project, where religious minorities are marginalized and dissent is treated as disloyalty. Hindutva is no longer merely distorting India’s internal social balance; it is pushing the country towards diplomatic isolation and exposing it to mounting international scrutiny. What once remained implicit is now being openly documented by major international publications, which warn that India’s trajectory poses risks not only to itself but to regional stability as a whole.
The American journal Foreign Affairs, in a recent analysis, has questioned India’s claim to be a reliable strategic pillar for the United States. In the aftermath of the May 2025 Pakistan–India war, relations between Washington and New Delhi have entered one of their most strained phases in decades. Pakistan publicly welcomed the role played by US president Donald Trump in brokering a ceasefire, while India rejected American mediation outright. Trump’s repeated references to Pakistan’s diplomatic and military performance, alongside his visible engagement with Pakistani leadership, were widely perceived in New Delhi as a diplomatic setback. According to the journal, Trump also declined to sign a proposed trade agreement with India and imposed additional tariffs on Indian exports, further eroding bilateral ties.
These developments have fueled growing doubts in Washington about India’s reliability as a long-term strategic partner. Analysts argue that durable stability in south Asia cannot be built on double standards but requires balanced and realistic diplomacy. India’s regional influence appears to be weakening as neighboring countries begin to recalibrate their foreign policies. Bangladesh and Myanmar, once firmly within India’s sphere of influence, are strengthening ties with Pakistan and China. Meanwhile, prime minister Narendra Modi has faced criticism at home over India’s effective withdrawal from Iran’s Chabahar port. The opposition Congress party has seized on the issue, releasing a video accusing Modi of once again “surrendering before Trump”.
Having earlier hailed the Chabahar agreement as a major diplomatic achievement, Modi has remained conspicuously silent since India stepped back following the reimposition of US sanctions, despite having secured a 10-year operational role at the port only in 2024. At the heart of India’s predicament lies the transformation of Hindutva into state policy under Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Hostility towards minorities—particularly Muslims and Christians—has been normalized through legislation, inflammatory rhetoric, and state-backed coercion. Measures such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, the NRC, mob violence, attacks on places of worship, and identity-based political polarization have inflicted deep damage on India’s secular foundations.
International human rights organizations have repeatedly raised alarms over the deterioration of religious freedom, yet global institutions, including the United Nations, have failed to take meaningful action to hold India accountable. Conditions for religious minorities continue to worsen. Mosques are demolished, Christian missionaries are targeted, and insecurity among the Sikh community is growing. Restrictions on free expression, arrests of journalists, and pressure on civil society have pushed India closer to an authoritarian model of governance. In this context, India’s self-portrayal as a champion of democracy and human rights increasingly rings hollow on the global stage. Persistent tensions with Pakistan stem from the same extremist mindset, with India prioritizing aggressive rhetoric, border provocations, and unilateral actions over dialogue and diplomacy.
This approach threatens not only regional peace but global security, particularly given the nuclear capabilities of both countries. Nowhere is India’s intransigence more evident than in Kashmir. The revocation of the region’s special status, widespread human rights violations, and prolonged military lockdown underscore India’s disregard for internationally agreed norms. By rejecting UN resolutions and forcibly integrating Kashmir into the Indian Union, New Delhi has flouted both international law and basic ethical principles. Such conduct cannot be reconciled with the responsibilities of a peaceful and accountable state.
In light of these realities, the international community faces a clear responsibility to confront India’s double standards and extremist policies. If global actors genuinely uphold human rights, religious freedom, and international peace, they must reassess their engagement with New Delhi. Diplomatic pressure, moral censure, and international isolation may be the only tools capable of compelling India to reconsider a course that is proving increasingly destabilizing—for itself, for the region, and for the wider world.
(The writer is a former government officer and a senior analyst on national and international affairs, can be reached at inam@metro-morning.com)
