72 years ago to the day, when the saffron-white-green flag of India replaced the British banner on the New Delhi Red Fort, the world celebrated the birth of a new nation that soon became a postcolonial model of secular democracy.
This year, the ceremonies commemorating Indian independence will be held under the same protocol followed for decades. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will raise the flag on the Red Fort, as did the first head of the government of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, August 15, 1947. Will follow the speech of the Prime Minister from the ramparts of this magnificent fortress of Mughal architecture, then the singing of the national anthem and finally a salute of 21 guns to pay homage to those who liberated the country.
However, although the principles of secular democracy are still topical on paper, India has come back on many of these founding precepts. In the torn region of Kashmir, for example, New Delhi has in fact followed the methods and speech of the colonizer, notes Nitasha Kaul, novelist and professor of political science and international relations at the University of Westminster. "There is a word for a supposed development which is accompanied by an alleged moral superiority and an economic rationality, in the noise of the boots, without the affected populations having their say, and based on the fantasy of the fact that India sees itself as a postcolonial democracy does not change anything - no colonial enterprise in contemporary history has dared to designate itself as such, "the academic writes in a column published in Foreign Policy magazine.
Campaign promise
Although the country was founded as a secular nation, transcending religious identities, unlike Muslim Pakistan, India today is a Hindu state just as Pakistan is a Muslim state. "The vision of the Hindu nationalists is the counterpart of what exists in Pakistan, which is sad because India has held to another model of democracy, a secular model where all religions have their place," says Mira Kamdar , author of the book "India in the twenty-first century", interviewed by France 24.
Last week, the Modi government crossed the Rubicon by unilaterally revoking article 370 of the Constitution which guarantees autonomy in Indian Kashmir. This revocation effectively erased the obscure circumstances in which this territory joined the Dominion of India, as did the UN resolutions calling for a referendum in Kashmir that India ignored.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had long threatened to take such a step and made it a key promise for re-election in the 2019 legislative campaign. When Article 370 was finally repealed on August 5, taking everyone by surprise, the followers of Narendra Modi spoke of "final solution" without any ounce of irony.
The implementation of this repeal was much more radical than promised by the BJP. Overnight, the only Muslim-majority Indian state lost its special status and was demoted to the status of "Union Territory" administered by New Delhi.
While Narendra Modi spoke eloquently about the welfare and prosperity that this decision would bring to Kashmir and the rest of India, the people of this region were cut off from the world like never before, without access to the Internet or telephone. Movements were restricted, a curfew was imposed, and tens of thousands more troops were deployed in one of the most militarized areas of the world.
Final step
Meanwhile, economists are working to defeat the myth that the repeal of Article 370 will economically benefit Kashmir, a state with better demographic indicators than many in India.
The inhabitants of Kashmir, who have long been denied the right to self-determination, have not welcomed this last "greeting", but the prospect of repression has allowed the triumphalist speech of the Modi administration to leave without scratching.
"Over time, India nibbled away at the autonomous status of Kashmir. The final stage of this process has arrived, "Sumit Ganguly, professor of political science at Indiana Bloomington University, told France." This was done with the idea that India is a homogenous Hindu state that does does not need, or very little, secularism. "
While India was created from the secular vision of Nehru, a fringe of Hindu nationalism has long envisioned a majority state that would dispense with multiculturalism.
"This fringe has always been there," says Mira Kamdar. "It is those who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, who opposed the vision of Nehru and that of Ambedkar (the father of the Indian Constitution, Ed) and others.Now, this second vision, which was once a minority , is ramping up. "
On the eve of the anniversary of independence, a court in the state of Rajasthan, western India, acquitted six men of the murder of a Muslim dairy farmer. The desperate lynching of Pehlu Khan, in 2017, by a crowd of cow defendants, was filmed and made the headlines in the country. Following the verdict, the hashtag #PehluKhan became number one in India, and many Indians, including those in the diaspora, shared their anguish.
Although India has an independent judiciary, the gradual infiltration of Hindutva - the Hindu nation - into the institutions of the country has eroded, if not completely, the secular principles.
"The fragile balance of secularism in India can only be maintained if the rule of law prevails and allows every citizen to feel equal to others, regardless of their community. For this to be possible, there needs to be a judicial power without bias or religious motivation. If in this respect the Supreme Court remains the most important Indian institution, its sometimes contradictory decisions and community ideas espoused by some representatives of the judicial branch have contributed to the erosion of secularism, "notes Christophe Jaffrelot, researcher at the Ceri -Sciences Po and CNRS, in the report "The fate of secularism in India".
If Muslims - who represent 14% of the population, is the largest minority in India - are the most threatened by this tyranny of the majority, other groups are not left against the violence of Indian nationalism, according to Sumit Ganguly .
"Other minorities face increasing discrimination, such as the tiny Christian community, with burned churches and attacks on people," the professor notes.
A gigantic market
With the exception of a few years during which a state of emergency has been imposed, India has managed to maintain a system of democratic governance, which has earned "the world's largest democracy" the favor of the community. international.
But if democracy has resisted, India suffers from the wave of populism that affects many countries. And in the second most populous country in the world, things tend to collapse on a large scale.
The extent of the damage has often gone unnoticed by an international community clinging to the stereotype of a spiritual nation, in which it can continue to project an Orientalist vision of an "other" non-monotheist despite a growing globalization. quick.
"The enthusiasm of international investors for the potential of the Indian market and for the image of this country - a growing, progressive, tech-savvy, forward-looking India joining the ranks of the great democracies - is huge and very difficult. to counter, "says Mira Kamdar.
Many world political and economic leaders do not want to offend New Delhi. "The world's major capitals are taking care of their partnership with New Delhi. India offers exceptional market opportunities, which explains why they do not want to play spoilsports, "said France 24 Michael Kugelman, Wilson Center think tank, based in Washington.
This massive market partly explains why the response of the international community was so weak in the face of the abrogation of Article 370 last week and the systematic violations of human rights in Kashmir. An international community that turns a blind eye all the more easily that Pakistan supports jihadist groups in the region.
"Pakistan has a problem of image abroad and has trouble to be respected. He tried to be heard at the UN General Assembly but he lacked credibility on the world stage, "observes Michael Kugelman.
>> Read: Pakistan warns India and appeals to the international community
While the major powers and leaders of international institutions still seem reluctant to condemn New Delhi's actions in Kashmir, growing international awareness could stir up public anger.
Since August 5, protesters have been protesting in front of Indian embassies and consulates in cities like London, New York and Los Angeles. Pro-Kashmir groups have called for a new demonstration in London on Independence Day. Supporters of the Indian Nationalist Party also planned a demonstration in the British capital the same day. In the Kashmir valley, easing the curfew is likely to trigger a new wave of protests and revolts that will make headlines internationally.
"While the Modi government is putting a foot on the accelerator in its Hindu nationalist agenda, India's impeccable reputation abroad could suffer," warns Michael Kugelman. "India needs to pay attention to its image and the tactics it uses to quell the revolt in Kashmir. Otherwise, the bad press she gets will push the Western countries to express themselves. If the big international players begin to denounce the violations of India, then Pakistan will be able to obtain the diplomatic place that it always wanted. "