Dr. Gurinder Singh Grewal

November 19.2025

Introduction

History does not repeat itself word for word; it repeats itself in patterns. When societies drift toward majoritarian nationalism, certain recurring features emerge—cult worship of the nation, demonization of minorities, propaganda, erosion of democratic safeguards, and the steady merging of party, state, and ideology. Scholars of authoritarianism often compare modern movements to earlier fascist regimes not because the outcomes are identical, but because understanding the trajectory is essential to preventing catastrophe.

The rise of the RSS–BJP combine in India shares multiple structural similarities with the rise of the Nazi movement in Germany. The scale and context differ, but the ideological architecture, political strategies, and treatment of minorities carry unsettling resonances. For Punjab and the Sikh community, understanding these patterns is not merely an academic exercise—it is crucial for survival, political clarity, and safeguarding their language, culture, and freedoms.

1. Ideological Foundations: Race and Religion as Political Weapons

Nazi ideology was built on the myth of Aryan racial superiority. In a different cultural setting, the RSS constructed the ideology of Hindutva, which defines India as a Hindu civilization where minorities can live only if they accept subordination.

Both movements:

  • view the majority identity as the “true” national identity,
  • portray minorities as historical enemies,
  • rely on mythologized histories to legitimize their claims,
  • fuse religion/culture with nationalism to justify political dominance.

Nazi Germany’s racial purity doctrine and RSS’s Hindu Rashtra ideology share the same psychological foundation: the nation belongs to one community, and others must either assimilate or be excluded.

2. Construction of the ‘Enemy Within’

Fascism requires an internal enemy to mobilize the masses.
For the Nazis, it was Jews.
For RSS–BJP, it is primarily Muslims.

Both movements describe the target minority as:

  • “Foreign,”
  • “Impure,”
  • “Disloyal,”
  • “Demographic threat,”
  • “Civilizational danger.”

Nazi rhetoric claimed Jews were plotting against Germany. Hindutva propaganda paints Muslims as invaders, terrorists, or demographic conspirators (“love jihad” and “population jihad”). The strategy is classic: sow fear, create polarization, then consolidate political power.

3. Manufacturing Consent: The Propaganda State

Nazi Germany perfected the machinery of propaganda through central control of press, radio, education, and arts.

In India, media is not fully state-controlled, but:

  • most major television networks echo government talking points,
  • dissenting journalists are targeted with raids or surveillance,
  • social-media misinformation machinery is deployed at industrial scale.

Textbooks are being rewritten to erase the Mughal period, minimize Sikh history, and elevate a mythic Hindu past. This mirrors the Nazi obsession with rewriting German history to glorify Aryans.

A society whose memory is reshaped becomes easier to rule.

4. Legal Engineering and Democratic Backsliding

Authoritarian movements often use democratic processes to destroy democracy from within.

Nazi Germany did this through the Enabling Act, which transformed Hitler’s government into a dictatorship.

RSS–BJP employs legal and institutional tools:

  • CAA–NRC to redefine citizenship along religious lines,
  • UAPA, sedition laws, and FCRA to silence NGOs and dissenters,
  • Weaken federalism by reducing state autonomy,
  • controlling universities, courts, election bodies, and media.

The strategy is not to abolish democracy outright but to hollow it from within, maintaining elections while undermining accountability.

5. Paramilitary Structures and Youth Indoctrination

The RSS, Bajrang Dal, and VHP operate in a paramilitary style reminiscent of the Nazi SS, SA, and Hitler Youth. RSS shakhas train cadres with:

  • Ideological lessons,
  • Martial drills,
  • Regimental discipline,
  • lifelong loyalty to the organization.

This mirrors how totalitarian regimes cultivate a loyal, militant base that can be mobilized during elections, protests, and communal tensions.

6. Violence: Organized Genocide vs. Systemic Majoritarian Brutality

It is essential to state clearly: India has not carried out a genocide on the scale of Nazi Germany.

However:

  • lynchings of Muslims,
  • Bulldozer demolitions,
  • Communal pogroms,
  • Police complicity,
  • Discriminatory laws,
  • Hate speech by elected officials
    reflect patterns of early-stage fascism.

The logic of violence is similar even if the scale is not:

  1. Define the minority as dangerous.
  2. Incite the majority emotionally.
  3. Use decentralized violence.
  4. Provide political protection to perpetrators.

This approach allows plausible deniability while achieving the same goal: instilling fear and enforcing second-class citizenship.

7. Cult of the Leader

Hitler became the embodiment of German destiny—beyond criticism, beyond accountability.

Similarly, Narendra Modi has been elevated to a mythic status:

  • The “only leader who can save India,”
  • the “incorruptible father figure,”
  • The “visionary who restored Hindu pride.”

Such cults weaken institutions. When the leader becomes the nation, dissent becomes treason.

8. Economic Power and Political Power Merge

Fascist regimes rely on strong alliances with industrial and economic elites.

In India:

  • Adani, Ambani, and select conglomerates have gained extraordinary political proximity,
  • Economic power is increasingly centralized,
  • Privatization and crony capitalism flourish.

Economic dependency tightens political control, like the Nazi–corporate nexus.

9. Impact on Punjab, Sikhs, and India’s Pluralism

For Punjab and the Sikhs, the rise of Hindutva carries specific dangers:

  • Rewriting Sikh history as a “subset” of Hinduism,
  • Undermining Punjabi language and federal rights,
  • Centralizing power in Delhi,
  • Interfering in Sikh institutions (SGPC, universities),
  • Reducing the space for minority identity.

Nazi Germany destroyed pluralism entirely. Hindutva seeks to recast India into a monocultural Hindu state—leaving little room for the Sikh ethos of equality, diversity, and freedom.

10. Conclusion: Understanding the Warnings of History

Comparing the two movements is not about claiming identical outcomes. It is about recognizing structural parallels that historically precede authoritarian collapse:

  • Cult of the majority
  • Demonization of Minorities
  • Propaganda dominance
  • Institutional capture
  • Paramilitary culture
  • Suppression of dissent
  • Leader-worship
  • Legal discrimination

These patterns are dangerous not only for Muslims but for all minorities, including Sikhs.

History teaches one lesson repeatedly:
Majoritarian nationalism, if unchecked, always ends in the destruction of freedoms, institutions, and societal harmony.

Punjab—and all who believe in Guru Nanak’s vision of equality—must understand these patterns clearly. Awareness is the first step toward resistance.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Fascism, Authoritarianism & Nazi Germany

Key Works
Evans, R.J. (2005) The Third Reich in Power, 1933–1939. London: Penguin.
Kershaw, I. (2008) Hitler: A Biography. London: Penguin.
Paxton, R. (2004) The Anatomy of Fascism. New York: Knopf.
Shirer, W.L. (1960) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Interpretation & Theory
Arendt, H. (1973) The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Friedländer, S. (2007) The Years of Extermination. New York: HarperCollins.

2. Hindu Nationalism, RSS, BJP & Modern Indian Politics

Foundational Analyses
Andersen, W. and Damle, S. (1987) The Brotherhood in Saffron. New Delhi: Vistaar.
Hansen, T.B. (1999) The Saffron Wave. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Jaffrelot, C. (1996) The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics. London: Hurst.

Contemporary Studies
Jaffrelot, C. (2021) Modi’s India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy. London: Hurst.
Chatterjee, P. (2020) ‘The making of a populist strongman’, Economic & Political Weekly, 55(34), pp. 22–29.

Primary Ideological Text
Savarkar, V.D. (1923) Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? Nagpur: Savarkar Prakashan.

3. Sikh History, Identity & Nationhood

General Histories
Grewal, J.S. (1990) The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Khushwant Singh (1963) A History of the Sikhs, Vols. 1–2. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Identity & Religious Boundaries
Oberoi, H. (1994) The Construction of Religious Boundaries. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Guru Period Scholarship
McLeod, W.H. (1968) Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4. Punjab, 1947 Partition & Post-Colonial Conflict

Partition
Butalia, U. (1998) The Other Side of Silence. New Delhi: Penguin.
Talbot, I. and Singh, G. (2009) The Partition of India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

1980s–1990s Sikh Conflict
Human Rights Watch (1991) Punjab in Crisis. New York: HRW.
Tully, M. and Jacob, S. (1985) Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi’s Last Battle. London: Jonathan Cape.

5. Human Rights, Citizenship, & Democratic Backsliding in India

Democratic Erosion
Levitsky, S. and Ziblatt, D. (2018) How Democracies Die. New York: Crown.
Raghavan, P. (2020) The Oxford Introduction to Indian Politics. Oxford University Press.

Legal and Citizenship Issues
Basu, D.D. (2021) Introduction to the Constitution of India. Gurgaon: LexisNexis.
Human Rights Watch (2021) India: Events of 2020. HRW Report.

6. Punjabi Language, Culture & Society

Shackle, C. (1995) Punjabi Language and Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bajwa, H. (2010) Punjabi Language Movement in India. Patiala: Punjabi University Press.

7. Sikh Diaspora, Identity & Transnationalism

Axel, B. (2001) The Nation’s Tortured Body: Violence, Representation, and the Formation of a Sikh Diaspora. Durham: Duke University Press.
Tatla, D. (1999) The Sikh Diaspora: Search for Statehood. London: Routledge.

8. Reports & Official Documents

Amnesty International (2023) India: Human Rights Concerns. London: Amnesty.
UN Human Rights Council (2019–2023) Reports on India. Geneva: UNHRC.
National Crime Records Bureau (2017–2024) Crime in India. New Delhi: NCRB.