Intolerable

摘要

Politics in India is rarely less than febrile. In a federation where 29 states and two "territories" have elected governments, the campaign season never ends. And its press is both outspoken and herd-like, turning the most tippy-toed of trends into a thunderous stampede. Even so, the uproar over the alleged spread of "intolerance" is remarkable. Many blame the 18-month-old government led by Narendra Modi of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Its most fervent members believe that India should be a Hindu state. But its priority was supposed to be rapid economic growth, not sectarian bickering. So it is puzzling that in a few short weeks it has alienated not just India's non-Hindu minorities and its liberal intelligentsia, but broad swathes of domestic and foreign opinion.