EP 11: 'Bogeymen or Props' - UP Elections, Muslims, and Islamophobia

Comprising over 200 million people, Uttar Pradesh (or UP) holds a decisive influence over Indian politics. In the 2017 state elections, the Hindu-nationalist came to power with a thumping majority, largely due to a campaign based on promises of development and 'keeping the Muslims in check'. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Abdullah Khan, a political activist from Aligarh and a scholar of media studies, about the recently concluded 2022 state elections, and specifically the role of Muslims in local politics. Historically, the community has been seen either as a 'threat' that can be used to pull votes in the name of Hindutva, or as a captive vote bank of 'secular parties' who have nowhere else to go. This time too, a lot of the political opposition avoided direct/visible engagements with the Muslim community in order to not be seen as anti-Hindu/pro-Muslim (the two go together unfortunately). Furthermore, the ruling BJP, frequently targeted the community in order to garner votes.

Hence, in this podcast, Dr. Khan talks about the election, the frustrations of the Muslims, and the future of secular politics in India

You can follow him on Twitter: @fascismcombat

Language: Urdu-Hindi, English