The V-Dem observations about India, as reported in The Hindu, point out, "Noting that almost all components of democracy were getting worse in more countries than they were getting better, the report singled out freedom of expression, clean elections, and freedom of association/civil society as the three worst affected components in autocratising countries." It aptly summarises the ground reality in India. To cap it all, India is seeing the worst treatment of its minorities. The RSS-BJP combine has lately resorted to using Hindu Festivals/Congregations as yet another tool to intimidate the minorities. This was amply witnessed in the pattern of Ram Navami Celebrations, the Holi celebrations and the Kumbh congregation.

This rising pattern of authoritarianism of ruling dispensation from the last decade was the major factor in the coming together of most of the opposition parties coming together to form the INDIA coalition, despite many inner contradictions. The overall impact of the coalition, with Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the social groups forming the platforms like Eddulu Karnataka and Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, impacted the Lok Sabha results and the target of BJP to cross 400 seats in Lok Sabha was quashed.

It is true that the progression of the INDIA alliance did not go in the desired direction of forming an ongoing platform for state elections. This was one of the reasons for the setback to the INDIA alliance partners in the Maharashtra and Haryana elections. The added cause was the renewed attempt by all RSS affiliates to work for the BJP. This is nothing new, but probably during the Lok Sabha elections, JP Nadda stated that the BJP does not need the help of RSS as it is now capable of winning on its own.

It seems the important need of the INDIA alliance to strengthen itself post Lok Sabha elections has been ignored, with many constituents declaring their aloofness from this and the biggest opposition party, the Congress, not having taken any major initiative. It is worthwhile to note that the CPI (M), the ideologically strong component of this alliance, is having second thoughts on the issue as its Acting General Secretary Prakash Karat stated that "The opposition INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections and not state polls… and called for a broader platform of secular opposition parties.

He also said the alliance should be looked at with a broader perspective so that it would not be stifled solely by electoral politics. This is paraphrased by many left-leaning intellectuals who are saying that BJP is not exactly a fascist party, Like "Patanaik reasons that while neoliberal capitalism generates a "fascist presence" – manifesting in right-wing authoritarian movements, xenophobia, ultra nationalism, and eroded democratic norms – it does not necessarily recreate the conditions for full-fledged "fascist states" like in the 1930s."

While many terms have been used for the rising politics of Hindutva Nationalism, Neo-Fascism, proto-Fascism and Fundamentalism, the point is that no political phenomenon repeats itself in the same way. Today, Hindutva nationalism has many features close to that of Fascism, which was the initial inspiration for the founders of RSS, particularly MS Golwalkar, who in his "We or Our Nationhood" said, "To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic Races — the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for Races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by."

We in India are witnessing many of the traits of Fascism, like the Golden Past, aspiration for Akhand Bharat, targeting minorities, presenting them as enemies of the nation, authoritarianism, promoting big business, stifling the freedom of expression and dominating social thinking. Here we are witnessing the intolerance to freedom of expression as recently witnessed in the case of Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, saying that "…the RSS is poison. They are trying to destroy the soul of the country. We should be fearful about that because if the soul is lost, everything is lost." Tushar Gandhi was asked to apologise and to take back his words. He did neither, and now he is facing death threats.

With the vast spread of RSS and hundreds of its organisations, thousands of its pracharaks and lakhs of its activists, it is threatening the idea of India, which emerged from the Freedom Movement. The values of the freedom movement are expressed in our Constitution, which is based on the equal rights of all citizens and is inclusive to the core. RSS planted its ideology, which is opposed to the values of the freedom movement and the Indian Constitution, through its vastly growing network.

It initially created hatred for Muslims by abusing history, as witnessed currently in Maharashtra, where demands for uprooting the tomb of Aurangzeb are priority number one for the ruling BJP. Currently, it is also targeting the major leader of the freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi, by propagating that he had no role in getting us freedom, many of its social media posts going to the extent that Gandhi sabotaged our freedom movement.

The list is long. What is to be done today? Karat is right that a broader secular platform has to be created. The INDIA coalition was precisely the first step in this journey. We need to strengthen this alliance much further. The rough edges in the coalition need to be sorted out. Karat's party, with over a million members, can play a major role in further boosting this alliance despite some contradictions among the coalition partners. For bigger reasons, small sacrifices by the constituents are mandatory.

To back this up, the social groups also need to continue their great work done in the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which the National Secular Coalition can initiate. The exact characterisation of the present regime, whether Fascist or having elements of Fascism, or whatever the strategy in India should be, should be a broader platform, with more energy and dynamism, which we witnessed on the eve of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.