If one examines the charge of fascist in the media and press of India, it is a standard term of abuse against the RSS and its associates, notably the BJP and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extending to almost any Hindu affirmative organisation. It is seldom used for any other political group or religion, not even for recognised terrorist organisations like the ISIS.

This is not surprising because the anti-Hindu Left retains a strong place in journalism and academia, which became entrenched during the long period of the Congress rule. We must remember that India's Left holds positions far to the left of mainstream liberal political parties in the West, and uses the rhetoric of the communist era. The Left is upset that it is losing power since Modi's unexpected landslide election in 2014 and will do what it can to discredit his attempts to benefit the country.

The Left has long used the term fascist to denigrate its enemies, much as the old Christian church called non-Christians "heathens" and "heretics". Even warring Leftist groups call their conflicting Leftist opponents fascists. European Leftists call the United States a fascist country. The far Left in America calls the Republican right fascist.

Such emotionally charged terms are used to make us stop thinking and condemn the groups so designated without further consideration. Perhaps the best definition of fascist is any group that someone on the Left dislikes and wants to denigrate. For India's Left that group is the Hindus. Even yoga in India, because of its Hindu connections, is looked down upon suspiciously as Right wing.

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The historical record of the Left

The Left has produced the same type of violence, genocide and stifling of democracy associated with fascism. Joseph Stalin was as bad as Adolf Hitler and worse than Mussolini, killing millions of his own countrymen.

Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler in 1939, which cruelly divided Poland between them. This started World War II and allowed Hitler to invade France without the fear of a second front with the Soviets. It was only Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 that ended Stalin's nexus with the Nazis. Yet the Left conveniently forgets Stalin's alliance with Hitler that decimated Poland and started World War II.

Mao Tse Tung in China was another communist leader whose policies of dictatorship and state control rival the best of fascists. Millions died, numerous books were burned, and universities throughout the country were closed down under Mao's cultural revolution from 1966-76. Yet in India, the Left never made an issue of Mao's atrocities. Some Leftists defend India's own Maoists and the violence they commit.

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Chinese communists call the Dalai Lama a fascist and India's Marxists support them. Soviet and Chinese communists as atheists destroyed numerous churches, temples and mosques. The Left prefers to criticise Hindus for religious intolerance, though Hindus have never invaded or tried to convert any country. It has no regard for Hindus in Pakistan, who have almost no political or human rights and are being wiped out altogether.

The Left is anti-Israeli to the point of anti-Semitism, in spite of the Jewish holocaust being the main act defining Nazi brutality. Those who sympathise with Israel in any way are likely to be called fascist, and growing attacks on Jews in Europe arouse little concern from the Left.

Left-oriented Indira Gandhi and her Congress party abrogated freedom of the press and democracy under the Emergency she imposed during 1975-1977. Shall we cite her for policies that for Hindu leaders would certainly be called fascist? And for communal violence, the attack on the Sikhs after her assassination remains the largest genocide since the Independence of the country.

Another hero of the Indian Left is Lalu Prasad Yadav, who kept Bihar backward and lawless under his many years of rule. Though Lalu was convicted and served time in prison, those who claim to stand against fascism, communalism and corruption have a political alliance with him in Bihar today.

Beyond the rhetoric of the Left

Certainly there is little called fascist that Leftist leaders have not done. And the Left in India still does not adequately condemn its own despots.

Now the Left is criticising Hindus not for alleged terrorist events, but for isolated incidents over cow slaughter, which have occurred for years. We are told that beef banning Hindu groups pose the greatest threat to communal harmony. This borders on the absurd, particularly given the current situation in the Middle East, where multiple civil wars and devastating terrorist attacks are ongoing, and where there are no Hindus!

Of course, no one is beyond scrutiny or criticism. But the Left has its own set of failings and cannot claim to be the voice of truth and justice for humanity.

The selective outrage of the Indian Left that targets Hindus has a political bias and is covering over a greater violence, which the Left has often encouraged.

India - which Leftist groups never succeeded in raising up during their decades of domination - should give up the flawed logic and biased language of the Left and embrace its own dharmic traditions instead.

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