It’s apparently the latest intellectual fad to slap a “fascist” label on India, especially among self-proclaimed thinkers who love to parade their enlightenment. I’ve heard it from quite a few of these so-called intellectuals, who, while bashing Hindus and Sanatan Dharma, conveniently ignore facts. Recently, one of them had the audacity to claim India has become a fascist state—oh, bravo, you’ve cracked the code! Let’s break down this absurd narrative with a healthy dose of reality—and a side of sarcasm—because if India is fascist, then I’m a time traveler from 2150.”

Elections? What Elections? Oh, Just the Endless Ones

India’s 1.4 billion citizens must be cowering in fear, waiting for the mythical day they’ll witness a single election. Except, oops, the nation’s drowning in them—Delhi last month, Maharashtra before that, Haryana, the General Elections, and the list goes on like a never-ending democratic soap opera. But no, let’s ignore the dimwits who point out the inconvenient truth: India’s a chaotic circus of democracy, perpetually in “election mode.” Fascist states don’t hold elections, do they? Or are we rewriting the definition of fascism to fit this delusional narrative?

And then there’s the claim that India was a democracy “earlier” but isn’t anymore. Fascinating! I’d love to know the definition of “earlier”—perhaps a time when elections weren’t happening every other month? Because if that’s the benchmark, then India’s relentless democratic exercise must be a fascist nightmare for these critics. Oh, and let’s not forget the bold prediction: no elections in Bihar by the end of this year. Mark my words, when that election inevitably happen—because it will—it’ll be dismissed as a mirage, a fascist illusion to fool the masses. How convenient.

A One-Party State… With a Zillion Parties?

Here’s where the argument gets even more absurd: China, with its single-party authoritarian regime, is apparently a democracy, but India, with a zillion parties like INC, SP, TMC, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD, and hundreds more cluttering the political landscape, is a fascist state? Yeah, right. Are these parties just figments of our imagination? And Narendra Modi as a “Dictator of the nation without winning an election”? Last I checked, Modi’s been winning elections since 2014—landslides. But why let facts ruin a good fascist fantasy? In this fantasy world, Modi must be a dictator like Xi Jinping, ruling without pesky democratic processes. Never mind that the BJP has lost state elections—example Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu—over and over again. Fascist regimes don’t lose elections, do they? Oh wait, they don’t have elections. This logic is crumbling faster than a house of cards in a hurricane.

No Dissent Allowed… Except for All the Dissent

Let’s set politics aside and examine the claim that India allows no dissent, the hallmark of a fascist state. No protests, no TV channels, no courts, no social media—apparently, I received this claim via telepathy, because the internet must be banned in this dystopian hellscape. Except… what about the Farmers’ Protest that shook the nation for over a year? Or the Shaheen Bagh protests that dominated global headlines? Or Kejriwal, the Delhi ‘s former CM, protesting against his own government’s constraints? Are these all figments of our collective imagination? Opposition spokespersons like Supriya Shrinate (#GaliwaliBai) and Anurag Bhadouria (#HaraKurta) openly abuse the Prime Minister and the ruling party on national television—day after day—yet somehow, this is a fascist state where dissent is crushed? In a real fascist regime, they’d be silenced in a heartbeat, not trending on X with hashtags. The cacophony of voices against the government is so loud it could wake a coma patient. Or is that just more “propaganda” to fool us?

Militarization? More Like Military Shrinkage

And then there’s the pièce de résistance: India’s supposed militarization, a “recipe for a fascist state.” Military training is compulsory for all students now, they say? Newsflash: it’s not. In fact, the “dimwits” being mocked are the ones pointing out that India’s military recruitment is shrinking. The Agnipath scheme has been slammed for reducing long-term military manpower, with critics arguing it weakens national defense. Even international outlets like The Economist and BBC have reported on India’s dwindling defense personnel numbers—hardly the hallmark of a militarized fascist state. Fascist regimes like Nazi Germany turned their entire society into a war machine; India can’t even fill its military vacancies. But sure, let’s pretend India’s youth are goose-stepping to school with rifles in hand while the government begs for recruits. This fantasy is more fictional than a Bollywood blockbuster.

The Reality Check You Didn’t Ask For

Here’s the brutal, unvarnished truth: calling India a fascist state isn’t just a stretch—it’s a grotesque distortion of reality that insults the intelligence of anyone paying attention. Fascism means no elections, no dissent, no opposition, and a society marching in lockstep to a dictator’s tune. India, with its messy, chaotic democracy, its endless elections, its vocal opposition, and its vibrant (if imperfect) civil society, is the antithesis of that. You can criticize the government—there’s plenty to criticize—but slapping a “fascist” label on India is intellectual dishonesty at best, and malicious fiction at worst. If India is fascist, then the word has lost all meaning. So, try again—or better yet, get a grip on reality.

What do you think? Is India really a fascist state, or is this just another overblown narrative? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!!

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