The politics of calling minds ‘Naxal’
The article critiques Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments regarding 'brainy Naxals,' questioning the democratic implications of labeling ideological dissent as a criminal threat. It explores the historical and political context of such rhetoric in India.
Why it matters
The piece addresses the tension between national security rhetoric and the protection of intellectual freedom in a democracy.
In his Independence day address this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that his government had eliminated the threat of armed Naxals/Maoists, but added that ‘dimaagi Naxals (brainy Naxals’) remain. These dangerous individuals, he said, had been elevated to policy advisers by his predecessors. Now, they look for opportunities to ‘drag society onto the wrong path’ and ‘steer the nation’s youth’ away from the ‘mainstream effort’ to turn India into ‘a developed nation.’ He asked Indian citizens to ‘identify and isolate’ such individuals among them.
Is Mr. Modi the first leader of a democratic nation to declare thoughts to be crimes, without resort to innuendo or euphemism, in a formal address to the nation? A search for other instances came up empty.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in