Charlie Kirk's shooting reveals the levels of political polarisation in the US. Polarisation has become the pulse of nations, one after the other. One exaggeration leads to another. One form of fanaticism gives rise to another. Darshan Singh Sahsi of Indian origin, aged 68, was shot dead in British Columbia, Canada. He was running a textile recycling business. No one was reported arrested. Then, all of a sudden, the Lawrence Bishnoi group admitted responsibility through social media. The authorities are trying to trace out the terrorist group.

The violent death with which Darshan Sahsi met will need to be followed up on. But the trouble with Indian settlers of late is that they bring 'domestic exclusions' of all kinds into the lands they have made their own. The indigenous people of those lands feel 'excluded,' marginalised. If 150,000 who gathered in London against migrants felt 'alien' in their own nation's capital, it has an eloquence of its own. Marine Le Pen's cry is: "Give back France to us." Germany lives in dread. Australia has been the most vocal of late. But only when Trump thunders, the whole world takes note in alarm.

BJP-RSS Strategies have Ruined India's Global Image
Jawaharlal Nehru's advice to Indian migrants was that they accommodate to the culture of the land to which they move, integrate with the people among whom they live, and identify themselves with the nation that they have made their own. He did not want the Government of India to be interfering in the affairs of other countries. The BJP changed its tone: Modi addressed the diaspora in America several times (with a large number of Gujaratis), and BJP-RSS leaders expected expatriates to be the voice of India in foreign lands and fund collectors for promoting their ideology in their own homeland.

Thus, Indians have become unwelcome guests the world over - considered the new Jews - merely accumulating money and power and flattering skills and no creativity. India has turned out to be the greatest exporter of undocumented immigrants. Russia, Japan or South Korea are looking for genuine Indian workers - not for those who come with local political biases, caste prejudices and displays of Hindutva fanaticisms.

Earlier, Indians were known for their benign presence in America. There was fear only of Russia and China interfering through their immigrants. Silicon Valley was crowded with Indians. The Saffron strategy has damaged this image. Insanity has been pumped into them. Any criticism of Hindutva misbehaviour is called "Hinduphobia." Display of Indian cultural nationalism, community pride and religious ultra-fervour, e.g. immersion of Ganapati statue in commonly owned waterbodies, has reached the extent of direct provocation. Celebrations that ought to generate joy and fellowship have been turned into something repulsive and annoying. The recent Deepavali fireworks in Edmonton set houses on fire. A 'culture of exclusion' gradually leads to direct provocation.

Exclusion Begins at Home: Dalitisation of India
A Dalit man was beaten to death at Bhind in Madhya Pradesh after being forced to drink urine. Two tribal girls were gang-raped in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. Such daily humiliation of poorer communities has ceased to be a tragedy in BJP-RSS-led India. The reason is that keeping them "in their own place" is central to the BJP's political strategy.

Caste grievances drew the nation's attention as the Bihar elections approached. A historic study of Bihar's past can be very educational. Too few people are daring enough to attempt it.

How did the communities that constituted the intellectual light of ancient India end up as extremely backward castes in the present-day Bihar? They form 63% of the state. How did the Moriyas (Mauryas), who ruled a mighty nation, sink to these last levels of backwardness? How did 'Greater Magadha,' the region around Pataliputra, the land of Buddha and Ashoka, that had inspired nations from Egypt and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, fall to the state in which Bihar is today?

This is the tale of the Dalitisation of the nation. Centuries of exploitation of the indigenous tribals by the invading Aryans, who compose the higher castes today, have done it.

The Enslavement of the Indigenous (Tribals)
Ambedkar's argument was that the history of India was only about this process: alien conquest, forced subjugation, enslavement of the indigenous communities under the Brahminic caste order. Dasas, Dasyus, Asuras, Kiratas, Mlechhas and Vanaras must keep their assigned places. They may compete among themselves for higher recognition, but never replace the top castes.

Given a religious sanction, this social order has remained immutable. Manu gave it a formulation. It was this Brahminic order that Periyar, the architect of the Dravidian movement, rejected outright. Basava, the founder of the Lingayats, did the same. The other day, Thuingaleng Muivah, the originator of the Naga movement, affirmed that he was well-versed in Indian history when making his claims on behalf of his people. He did not go further.

Buddhism was a resistance to the expansion of the Brahminic order; as a result, Buddhism was pushed out of India. The Bhakti movement was a reaction against the Brahminic hierarchy; the Brahmins hijacked the movement. Reforms are attempted, but Brahmins ultimately take over the process. It happened to the Harijan movements, socialist uprisings, the Communist party, and the Dravidian self-respect assertion. Reform efforts within Brahminism quickly fall into the hands of Brahmins. And today, no matter who the symbolic figures are on top, the effective control of the Hindutva movement is with Brahmin decision-makers, RSS power-wielders. Delhi rules, Nagpur decides.

We are certainly not against any community, but we are critical of a system that perpetuates the dominance of certain castes, ensuring they remain in positions of power indefinitely, while relegating other groups to subordinate roles.

Developing a Philosophy that Justifies Inegalitarianism
Those with perceptive eyes are quick to see that Hindutva is all about the re-establishment of an inegalitarian caste order. Kumbh Melas, Bhoomi pujans, and temple buildings are dust thrown into the eyes of simple believers. Hindu-rashtra is about Brahminical supremacy. Make India Great Again (MIGA) after 1,200 years of humiliation, as Modi keeps repeating again and again, is a drive to give power and glory back to the dominant castes! It is a close imitation of Trump's effort to re-establish White Supremacy in America. Make Manu's mode operative again.

Modi may flatter sanitation workers as "Karmayogis." Why doesn't he encourage unemployed Brahmins to serve as "Karmayogis" in sanitation service; he would rather open two temples to provide 'unemployable' Brahmins a living. That is what is happening.

The Government of India's new Labour Policy refers to labour as "Rajdharma," drawing inspiration from the Manusmriti. Sanctimonious vocabulary is used to impose burdensome and menial tasks on humble sections as a 'sacred and moral duty.' Exceptional effort is made to phrase the policy in philosophically, legally and morally acceptable language, justifying and re-imposing the abhorrent caste-system. The vocabulary is made to sound modern, emphasising also the benefit of 'social harmony.'

The British Safety Council has found that worker security is lowest in India, with one in four fatal workplace accidents worldwide occurring in our country.

A Shoe in Flight
RSS Think-Tanks can take credit for the clever phrasing that justifies public robbery. It is not for no reason that Siddaramaiah warns us against the RSS. "Beware of RSS and Sangh Parivar," who take advantage of people in the name of Sanatana Dharma.

The "collective prosperity" that the Government of India Policy for Labour (inspired by the RSS) really means: ownership by the Vaishyas (Banias, Adanis, Ambanis) and labour support from the Shudras. Thus, supremacy remains with the Brahmins, while profits are shared proportionately among the dominant classes, including the Banias.

That was what Tejashwi Yadav pointed out when he swore that Bihar had been looted for 11 years by the Gujaratis (contracts, job appointments, resource management), but it should not continue any longer. Congress was very blunt in alleging that the BJP was at a "corporate Hindutva game."

Matters can be sensitive. I would like to quote John Lennon, who said, "Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it will always get you the right ones." Speaking frankly: Hindu-rashtra is one shoe planted on the throat of the humblest, and another shoe in flight towards the face of the most respectable among them. Phule and Ambedkar had plenty of it in their times. BR Gavai is having it these days.

Disdain for the humble is part of the profound convictions of the power-wielders. Kharge warns us against the RSS's subtle ways. They have made countless people suffer from merciless "Exclusion." How many deaths have been caused by CAA and NRC, let alone extreme depression?

Self-criticism Helps
All we suggest is self-criticism from the side of the high and mighty. The Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Defence Minister spoke of the 'jungle raj' in Bihar. Have they ever asked how many 'senas' the Sangh Parivar has given rise to? How many vigilante groups, lynch gangs, moral police battalions, mob violence teams, blind defenders of Hindutva all over the country? Are they not the propagators of "National Jungle Raj," which will remain long after they are gone? Is the killing of a human person in the name of a cow justified?

Are human lives more precious than animal life? Recently, Srinagar has been worrying about 90,000 stray dogs, with reported 2.12 lakh bites between 2022 and 2025. Kashmiris feel that it is an imported problem. Genuine value-system says: primarily 'humane' treatment to fellow humans, no matter how poor, then to all other living beings. Ambrose Bierce defines hypocrisy in this manner: "Prejudice with a halo."

In these matters, we also need to welcome criticism from outsiders. The other day, the lecturer Francesca Orsini was deported. The current leadership is wary of foreign scholars, journalists, and thinkers. If we are afraid of children becoming stunted, what about intellectual stunting that our isolationist policy is giving rise to? Seneca argued, "No one was ever wise by chance." We must continually listen and learn.

Is it a backwards-looking attitude of an imagined greatness of the past that will ensure us a great future? We little realise how, step by step, we are losing "global trust." Trump's tariff war is a trifle compared with the spontaneous 'trust' of the nations that we are undermining.

Blind to Realities
When we look only for praise from outsiders and not criticisms, blind spots multiply. We become unaware of what is happening around us and grow indifferent. For example, we are untouched when we hear that 8,000 schools with zero enrollment employ 20,000 teachers, with West Bengal leading the list. BJP-ruled states like UP, MP and Chhattisgarh have the highest child mortality rate in India (37); surprisingly, Manipur has the lowest (3).

The level of justice in the country continues to decline daily. The relatives of Malegaon blast victims approached the Maharashtra High Court, challenging the acquittal of Pragya Thakur, despite forensic evidence against her. The acquittal had "deepened their wounds." Pragya's Hindutva zeal has kept protecting her. Witnesses are intimidated, and political interference recurs day after day.

Ovid's casual remark, "Medicine sometimes snatches away health, sometimes gives it," proved true when 22 children died in MP after taking a cough syrup. There is a limit to "atmanirbhar," "made in India" boasts.

Think Independently
Blaise Pascal believed that man's greatness consisted in his "power of thought." It is time for citizens to think independently, express their views confidently, and question leadership boldly. BR Gavai, the Chief Justice of India, sets us a good example by asking the question, "Who will decide that a religious conversion is 'deceitful?'" The Supreme Court considered the UP Act on Conversion an instrument to harass innocents.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh seeks to curb healing services, known as "changai sabha," in an effort to control Christian influence. Assam has gone further ahead. Our future hangs in the balance!