India, The Dancing Elephant, Has Slowed To A Waddle

India, known by some as the "Dancing Elephant," has transformed into a more subdued state, according to recent assessments. For years, the nation was regarded as a "bright spot of growth and hope," with British journalist Edward Luce even claiming in 2008 that India had immense potential to become a great power. However, the lion pose of the Modi government has become increasingly tamer over the past decade.

The elephant, once dancing, seems to have stopped its rhythmic movements, leaving many questioning the future of India's political and economic trajectory.

The shift from a chosen nation—a group with the belief in its inherent superiority and dominance—to a victim nation, which tends to attribute its misfortunes to others and overlook its own failings, is evident in India's political landscape. Hindutva forces, who claim the status of a chosen nation, often act more like a victim nation, refusing to acknowledge the role of traditional Indian practices in discrimination against lower castes and women. This dichotomy creates a dangerous environment where discrimination and inequality are normalized.

Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's vision of India as a chosen nation has been replaced by Hindutva ideologues who operate as victim nations, creating a false sense of superiority. This destructive narrative ignores the potential for India to rise as a chosen nation, with spiritual, biological, and racial characteristics that could make it dominant in global affairs.

The Modi government's foreign policy has also faltered, with leaders prioritizing their own interests over the nation's well-being. Institutions have become small, while leaders have become big, with magical thinking replacing reality. The BJP's federalism is marked by institutional amnesia, weaponization of investigative agencies, and servility to oligarchic interests, often ignored by the media and civil society.

The country faces an income gap that is widening, with India punching below its economic potential. The unchecked power of investigative agencies and the use of legal measures against dissenting voices have resulted in a "delegative democracy" that is increasingly hostile to opposition and civil society.

India must rediscover its imagination and redefine its national identity to reclaim its former glory and potential. The elephant, once a dancing symbol of strength and confidence, now needs to find its rhythm again.