How Hindutva and the Taliban mirror each other in power and ideology

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* 

The recent visit of Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India and the warm reception extended to him by the Modi government have raised questions about India’s foreign policy direction. The decision appears to lend legitimacy to the Taliban regime, which continues to suppress democratic aspirations in Afghanistan. 

Such a move risks undermining India’s long-standing support for the Afghan people and could erode its moral standing among those who advocate democracy and peace in the region. India has historically supported the Afghan people and opposed the Taliban’s repressive governance. Aligning with them now does little to advance India’s national or regional interests.

The growing proximity between the Hindutva-led government in India and the Taliban regime may seem unexpected, yet both share certain similarities in ideological and political orientations. Each promotes religious nationalism, prioritizes faith-based identities over secular and egalitarian citizenship, and resists scientific and progressive thought. Both derive their legitimacy from religious narratives while using state power to restrict dissent and control citizens’ lives. Though operating in different contexts, Hindutva and the Taliban represent similar tendencies toward centralised authority rooted in religion and tradition.

Historically, both movements have been influenced by global power politics. Their emergence and consolidation have, at different times, intersected with the interests of larger imperial and neocolonial forces. Each employs fear, coercion, and the manipulation of religious identity as instruments of governance. The underlying intent is to divert public attention from economic inequality and social injustice by mobilizing people along communal and sectarian lines.

The Hindutva project envisions an India defined by a singular religious and cultural identity, marginalising its deep-rooted linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity. Similarly, the Taliban seeks to enforce uniformity in Afghanistan by suppressing dissent and alternative worldviews. Both reject pluralism and egalitarian social transformation. The destruction of the Babri Masjid in India and the ancient Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, reflect parallel efforts to erase histories of coexistence and diversity in the name of religious orthodoxy.

These forces also rely on the militarisation of minds. They cultivate hostility toward those perceived as “others” while discouraging critical thinking, reason, and scientific inquiry. In both contexts, religion becomes a political instrument to legitimise authority and maintain control over people’s social and economic lives.

In India, the politics of Hindutva often targets Muslims domestically while simultaneously courting authoritarian regimes abroad. This contradiction reflects a pragmatic pursuit of power and economic interest rather than a consistent ideological stance. The Taliban, too, offers little to its citizens beyond repression and economic hardship.

Ultimately, the challenge posed by both Hindutva and the Taliban extends beyond religion. It represents a broader struggle between authoritarianism and democracy, between reactionary politics and egalitarian futures. Building secular, democratic, and inclusive movements that defend people’s rights, livelihoods, and dignity remains essential to counter these regressive forces and to reaffirm the shared values of peace and pluralism in South Asia.

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*UK based scholar