Prashant Kishore’s Brahminical criticism of BJP’s Hindutva

Secularism is a modern, constitutional principle. In real-world politics, the manifestation of this principle is tested against a rather narrow yardstick: the fair representation of religious minorities, particularly Muslims.

Generally speaking, the English-speaking secularists are unaware of the caste dynamics that come into play in the field operation of representative politics, and they are also resistant to the idea of discussing caste as a determinant. The intersection of caste representation and religious representation mirrors the intersection of social justice and secularism in electoral politics.

The caste dynamics of politics are often manifested as critiques by non-Brahmins against Brahminism. A Brahmin perspective on these dynamics is rare, and that is the reason why Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor’s address to fellow Brahmins in Bihar’s Mithila region is an extremely valuable opportunity to peer into the emerging thinking within the community.