The Limits of Narendra Modi’s Nationalism

In both instances, Modi was largely able to overcome the unrest with the help of heavy-handed crackdowns and nationalist appeals. Those opposed to the stripping of Kashmir’s protected status were accused of instigation and sedition, while peaceful protests against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act were branded as the work of “anti-nationals” swayed by “jihadists, Maoists, and separatists.”

But recent demonstrations by tens of thousands of farmers opposed to new agricultural reforms won’t be so easily subdued. The scale of the protests, paired with the widespread public support for the farmers, has put Modi in the unusual position of negotiating with his own detractors. Efforts to undermine the protesters as a distrusted “other” have fallen flat.

Should these farmers be successful in rolling back, or at least amending, the government’s reforms, their demonstrations won’t just be remembered as one of the biggest challenges to Modi’s leadership—they will also have proved the limits of his nationalism.