NPR

National Population Register
w:National Population Register

(Indian politics) Initialism of National Population Register.


sulla

Borrowed from Punjabi ਸੁੱਲ (sulla), a mispronunciation of Punjabi ਮੁੱਲਾ (mullā, “mullah, Islamic religious leader”), derived from Classical Persian ملا (mullā), from Arabic مُلَّا (mullā).

der

(South Asia, religious slur, ethnic slur) A Muslim man; especially one from Pakistan.


peaceful

Derived from the derogatory term religion of peace, which is used against Islam itself for its association with violent attacks by Islamic extremists, and alleged support and lack of condemnation against them by certain Muslim communities.

They only have to use a bit of code to name those people; nowadays they call them “peacefuls”. A smirking euphemism is all it takes to sail through Twitter’s filter, and keep the hate-speech flowing.

(India, Islam, Islamophobic, Internet slang, offensive) a Muslim; especially a violent member of a radical Islamist group.


JD

(Indian politics) Initialism of Janata Dal (former Indian political party)


M

en-noun

M (countable and uncountable, plural Ms)

Coordinate term: H (“Hindu”)

(India, Islam, Internet slang) Initialism of Muslim; mostly used by Hindutva netizens primarily towards Islamist supporters and Muslim militants.


AAP

(Indian politics) Initialism of Aam Aadmi Party, a political party.


NRC

Coordinate term: NPR (“National Population Register”)

National Register of Citizens
w:National Register of Citizens

(Indian politics) Initialism of National Register of Citizens.


NCP

Nationalist Congress Party
w:Nationalist Congress Party

(Indian politics) Initialism of Nationalist Congress Party.


JP

(Indian politics) Initialism of Janata Party.

Justice Party (India)
w:Justice Party (India)

(Indian politics) Initialism of Justice Party (India).


SAD

Shiromani Akali Dal
w:Shiromani Akali Dal

(Indian politics) Initialism of Shiromani Akali Dal (Indian political party)


RSS

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
w:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

(Indian politics, Hindutva) Initialism of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (“Indian nationalist volunteer organization”).


CPM

Communist Party of India (Marxist)
w:Communist Party of India (Marxist)

(Indian politics) Initialism of Communist Party of India (Marxist), a political party.


PFI

Popular Front of India
w:Popular Front of India

(Indian politics) Initialism of Popular Front of India, a banned organization in India.


nationalist

en-adj

nationalist (comparative more nationalist, superlative most nationalist)

more nationalist (comparative)
most nationalist (superlative)

The anti-German riots which erupted simultaneously in many countries in response to the torpedoing of the Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915 reflected shifts in the status of minorities in multi-ethnic societies at a time of escalating nationalist emotions.

2013 November, Tilman Dedering, “‘Avenge the Lusitania’: The Anti-German Riots in South Africa in 1915”, in Immigrants & Minorities, volume 31, number 3, →DOI, pages 256–288:


nationalist

You are either a globalist or a nationalist; one cannot be both.

The dilemma arose from what nationalists perceived as an intolerable disjuncture between the broad geographical extent of Serbdom—the imagined community of Serbs—and the Serbian state as a territorial homeland.

2011, Gerard Toal, Carl T Dahlman, Bosnia Remade, page 53:


ISF

Indian Secular Front
w:Indian Secular Front

(Indian politics) Initialism of Indian Secular Front, a political party.


BJD

(Indian politics) Initialism of Biju Janata Dal, a political party.


vote bank

(India, politics) A section of an electorate that will vote for a particular party or formation, come what may.

base

group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates


antinational

Calling Tamil Nadu a “shelter” for anti-nationals, BJP national president J P Nadda said the state administration and the DMK were giving shelter to people working against the interests of the nation.

2020 August 25, Shanmughasundaram J, “Tamil Nadu is shelter for anti-nationals, says J P Nadda”, in Times of India:

(Indian politics, Hindutva, derogatory, accusatory) One who is opposed to India, usually suggesting pro-Pakistan or leftist associations, hostility against the Hindu religion, or opposition to Hindu nationalism.


toolkit

The culture of Ice Age humanity expresses a steady growth in the complexity of the tool kit, and a steady growth in complexity of artistic development.

1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 119:

A set of tools kept together, especially comprising all the tools suitable for some particular type of work.


UDF

United Democratic Front (Kerala)
w:United Democratic Front (Kerala)

(Indian politics) Initialism of United Democratic Front (Kerala)


BSP

Bahujan Samaj Party
w:Bahujan Samaj Party

(Indian politics) Initialism of Bahujan Samaj Party, a political party.


CPI

Communist Party of India
w:Communist Party of India

(Indian politics) Initialism of Communist Party of India, a political party.


raita

From the Hindi idiom रायता फैलाना (rāytā phailānā), which means to "spill the raita" or "make a mess".

(India, derogatory, politics, online slang) A Hindu who does not support Hindutva, a liberal Hindu, especially (highly derogatory) as considered a traitor to India or race traitor towards Indians.


Macaulayism

From Macaulay + -ism, from the name of Thomas Babington Macaulay, who was instrumental in introducing English as a medium of instruction for higher education in India.

(India, derogatory) The act of westernization of upper class Indians using educational reform.


chamcha

Borrowed from Hindi चम्चा (camcā, “sycophant, hanger-on, lackey”, literally “spoon”).

bor

1989. Stuart Auerbach. Washington Post. (Mar. 26) “Nehru and His Nation”
M J Akbar has been called a chamcha to the Gandhi family, and some of that slavish devotion shows up in his uncritical acceptance of Nehru’s government-dominated economic program and the erosion of the country’s grass roots political structure as a result of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Chamcha Sycophant (lit. ‘spoon’). 1997. Ghulam Nabi Azad. India Today (June 23) p. 13: I have my own standing in the party. I cannot be anybody’s chamcha (stooge).

1994. William Dalrymple City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi (Dec. 1) “Glossary” p. 340

1997. Sudhir Vaishnav. Times of India. (Aug. 24) “A very political exercise”
Several hangers-on. They are available aplenty everywhere in the country and are often known in the local market as Chamcha.

No doubt, the United Kingdom also had their sycophants—toadys, bachhas, jholichuks and hukkabardars—but chamchas of the modern vintage they had none. Chamchas are a breed apart.

1998 January 17, “In Praise of Chamchagiri”, in P.S. Sharma Times of India:

Leaders’ chamchas get lucky”: All three have pulled strings in their respective parties to get Assembly poll tickets for their puppets and close confidants, better known in political parlance as chamchas.

2004. Krishnakumar. Midday (Mumbai, India) (Sept. 21)

(India, colloquial) A sycophant and hanger-on or lackey.


NDA

National Democratic Alliance
w:National Democratic Alliance

(Indian politics) Initialism of National Democratic Alliance, a political alliance.


IUML

Indian Union Muslim League
w:Indian Union Muslim League

(Indian politics) Initialism of Indian Union Muslim League, a political party.


maulana

Ultimately from Arabic مَوْلَانَا (mawlānā).
The Indian slang usage of the term for any Muslim person was derived from a stereotype, especially towards Muslims who look stereotypical (beard, robes, and skullcap).

At the end of his long and cantankerous life the maulana had gone against all his high principles. He had gone to a Boston hospital to look for health; he had at the very end entrusted himself to the skill and science of the civilization he had tried to shield his followers from.

1981, V. S. Naipaul, Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey, page 168:

(Islam) A religious scholar, especially in Central and South Asia.

(India, Islam, Internet slang, religious slur) A Muslim person in general, especially an extreme conservative.


UPA

United Progressive Alliance
w:United Progressive Alliance

(Indian politics) Initialism of United Progressive Alliance, a political alliance.


CMM

Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha
w:Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha

(Indian politics) Initialism of Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha.


Hindian

From Hind + -ian, or a conflation of Hindi or Hindu and Indian. The term seems to have been coined several times independently.

(Indian independence movement) A native Indian (plural often same as singular)

Dravida Kazhagam was started by E. V. Ramaswany in 1944 to protect Dravida Nadu, comprising the southern regions of the Indian subcontinent, from northern domination (more specifically Hindian domination) by establishing an independent Dravidian Nation. [...] Hindian domination of Tamil Nadu culturally, continued Hindi imposition, transfer of billions of Rupees from Tamil Nadu to Hindi states during the past five decades and the total impotence of Tamil Nadu politicians to do anything about it have convinced Tamil nationalists that Tamil national rights cannot be protected within India and the liberation of Tamil Nadu from Indian rule is the only solution. [parentheticals removed]

2006, Shankarlal C. Bhatt, Land and People of Indian States and Union Territories, volume 25, Tamil Nadu: Gyan Publishing House, page 139:

(Dravidianism) A Hindustani in the sense of an Indian from north of the Deccan, a Hindustani-speaker or a bearer of that culture

(Hindutva) A native Indian of whatever religion, as a person of Hindu culture

In the end surely the Hindians must triumph. The peninsula's too small and they're just too powerful.

1989, Rajiva Wijesinha, Days of Despair, page 120:

the misunderstandings and differences between Dutch and Hindians—the terminological shifts between Dutch and Europeans, on the one hand, and between Hindians and Javanese on the other

2004, Hendrik M. J. Maier, We are Playing Relatives: A Survey of Malay Writing:


Hindian

en-adjective

Hindian (comparative more Hindian, superlative most Hindian)

more Hindian (comparative)
most Hindian (superlative)

It was for this reason that it made very good sense to continue to cultivate Agni, who had been critical of the Hindian offensive while also making clear his opposition to the methods the Tigers had adopted […] it was patently absurd to talk of a concerted Hindian foreign policy.

1989, Rajiva Wijesinha, Days of Despair, page 130,164:

The Hindian boy was consequently marched into Sister Baseball's private office and whacked solidly for an hour

2020, Marcia Macguire, Too Late to Barter, page 11:


NPP

National People's Party (India)
w:National People's Party (India)

(Indian politics) Initialism of National People's Party (India).


TDP

(Indian politics) Initialism of Telugu Desam Party, a political party.


PDP

w:Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party

(Indian politics) Initialism of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party.


Khalistan

Borrowed from Punjabi ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ (xālistān) / خالِصْتان (xāliṣtān). Literally, “Land of the Khalsa ”. Analyzable as Khalsa + -i- + -stan.

Indian Subcontinent
Indian Subcontinent#English

(historical) Synonym of Punjab; A region of Indian Subcontinent


saffronization

From saffron + -ization, after the saffron robes worn by Hindu priests and monks.

Given the 'saffronization' of Congress, the 'ethnoreligious purification' of the BJP, and the parturition of the avowedly secular parties (CPI, SJP and BSP) […]

1993, Harold Alton Gould, India votes: alliance politics and minority governments in the ninth and tenth general elections, page 308:

The saffronization of the Shiv Sena, and the fusion of its Maratha-kunbi chauvinism and communalism were natrual outcomes.

1999, Rajeev Bhargava, Multiculturalism, Liberalism, and Democracy, page 241:

The “value education” directives issued in the 81st Report encouraged, in the first instance, the “saffronization” agenda of the BJPled NDA government from 1999.

2015, S. Gupta, Consumable Texts in Contemporary India: Uncultured Books and Bibliographical Sociology:

(India, politics, derogatory) The politics of right-wing Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) that seek to make the Indian state adopt policies that recall and glorify Hindu cultural history and heritage of India at the expense of other religious traditions.

Dravidization

alteration in favour of Dravidian nationalism or separatism


Hindutva

Transliteration of Hindi हिंदुत्व (hindutva) / Bengali হিন্দুত্ব (hindutto, literally “Hinduness”). Coined by Chandranath Basu in 1892 and further popularised by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Bharatvasi

online slang terms for Hindutva supporters, may sometimes be derogatory

swayamsevak

a member of RSS, a Hindutva paramilitary organisation

chaddi

derogatory online slang term for Hindutva supporters


swadeshi

PIE word
 *swé
Borrowed from Hindi स्वदेशी (svadeśī, “nationalist, patriotic; policy of nationalist self-sufficiency, swadeshi; proponent of the swadeshi movement”), from स्वदेश (svadeś, “one’s own country”) + -ई (-ī, suffix forming adjectives, or forming nouns meaning a person who does an action indicated by the stem). स्वदेश is derived from Sanskrit स्वदेश (svadeśa), from स्व (sva, “his or her own”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (“(pronoun) self”)) + देश (deśa, “country; point, place”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to point out”)).

der

The Swadeshi movement in India is one which in certain of its aspects can be regarded with much sympathy. A spirit of patriotism is excellent, and the endeavour to engender and foster it, provided it is made along legitimate lines, calls for encouragement and not condemnation.

1906 September, “[Editorial Notes.] Missionaries Assaulted in a Swadeshi Riot.”, in The Church Missionary Intelligencer: A Monthly Journal of Missionary Information, volume XXXI (New Series; volume LVII overall), London: Church Missionary Society, […], →OCLC, page 713:

The Swadeshi movement, in its bad sense—the boycotting of foreign goods—has had no effect on imports as a whole, and even the articles specifically aimed at, cotton goods and sugar, have entered to an unparalleled extent in the last three years. The good side of the Swadeshi movement, the development of indigenous industries, is seen in the increased imports of textile machinery and metals.

1907 July, “Notes on Colonial and Foreign Banking, Finance and Commerce. [Indian Foreign Trade.]”, in The Bankers’, Insurance Managers’ & Agents’ Magazine, volume LXXXIV, number 760, London: Waterlow and Sons […], →OCLC, page 61:

The cry of the Indian "Insurgent" to-day is "Shiksha," (education,) education in all its phases and branches, both extensive and intensive; "Swadeshi," (home industries) and "Swaraj" (self-government).

1911 December 30, Basanta Koomar Roy, “Insurgency in India”, in Robert M[arion] La Follette, editor, La Follette’s Weekly Magazine, volume III, number 52, Madison, Wis.: Robert M. La Follette Company, →OCLC, page 8, column 1:

And yet long before this popular ebullition of excitement, I myself had given a thousand rupees, when I had not five rupees to call my own, to open a Swadeshi store and courted banter and bankruptcy.

1921 March 5, Rabindranath Tagore, “Chicago, March 5, 1921”, in C[harles] F[reer] A[ndrews], editor, Letters from Abroad, Triplicane, Madras, Tamil Nadu: S. Ganesan, published 1924, →OCLC, page 78:

My work should be, and therefore is, to organise the production of handspun cloth, and to find means for the disposal of the Khadi thus produced. [...] I swear by this form of Swadeshi, because through it I can provide work to the semi-starved, semi-employed women of India.

1929, M[ohandas] K[aramchand] Gandhi, “An Instructive Dialogue”, in Mahadev Haribhai Desai and Pyarelal Nair, transl., The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Translated from the Original in Gujarati, volume II, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Navajivan Press, →OCLC, part V, page 572:

The anti-partition agitation with its vehement invective, its appeals to Hindu sentiment, its cry that Bengal as motherland, once rich and famous, had been torn in two despite the protests of her children, its proposals for enforcing a punitive boycott of foreign goods and supplanting them entirely by "swadeshi" indigenous products, its enlistment of students and school-boys in picketing operations, gave ample cover for the sedulous teaching of revolutionary doctrines.

1932, H[enry] Verney Lovett, “The Rise of an Extremist Party”, in H[enry] H[erbert] Dodwell, editor, The Cambridge History of India, volumes VI (The Indian Empire 1858–1918 […]), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, →OCLC, page 551:

When H[erbert] H[ope] Risley—writing in 1909 just after the swadeshi movement had introduced the possibility of mass agitational politics as well as he specter of communal violence in Bengal—contemplated the political implications of the caste system, he confirmed British assumption by declaring that caste opposed nationality and would hinder the growth of nationalist politics.

1996, Nicholas B. Dirks, “The Conversion of Caste: Location, Translation, and Appropriation”, in Peter van der Veer, editor, Conversion to Modernities: The Globalization of Christianity, New York, N.Y., London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 115:

Mahatma Gandhi was not only a politician but an economic, social and religious reformer too. He felt that if swaraj or self-government was to mean anything for the dumb millions of the country the national movement must touch all aspects of the villager's life. He also developed his scheme of the revival of charkha and the development of swadeshi.

2009, G. R. Madan, “Rural Community Development”, in Indian Social Problems: Social Disorganization and Reconstruction, 6th edition, volume 2 (Social Work), New Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra: Allied Publishers, published 2012, →ISBN, page 192:

With tension all around, the police laid siege to large areas of the city and started raiding various homes and educational institutions and whosoever was even remotely connected with nationalism and swadeshi were promptly arrested.

2013, Samir Bhattacharya, “The Honour of the Country Comes First Always and Everytime^([sic])”, in Nothing But!: Book 2: The Long Road to Freedom, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Partridge India, →ISBN, page 164:

The first Indian Industrial Conference meeting in 1905, bringing together industrialists from all over India, decided to "foster and extend the use of such manufactures in India in preference to foreign goods." That demand intersected with the emerging Swadeshi movement, which advocated Indian self-sufficiency, especially in cottons, and symbolized the confluence of cotton entrepreneurs and the emerging nationalist political elites.

2014, Sven Beckert, “The Return of the Global South”, in Empire of Cotton: A Global History, New York, N.Y.: Vintage Books, published November 2015, →ISBN, page 420:

Is this news? Not to [Mahatma] Gandhi, whose swadeshi campaigns of local self-reliance drew support away from the dominating colonial paradigm of pauperizing indigenous populations by making them producers of raw materials and consumers of value-added products, [...]

2014, Tom H. Hastings, “Part 2: Promote Nonviolent Conflict Management”, in A New Era of Nonviolence: The Power of Civil Society over War, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, section I (Ending Civil Wars), page 78:

(India, economics, politics, also attributively) A policy of nationalist self-sufficiency in India, involving the revival and promotion of domestic production and (originally) the boycott of British products.


Dravidianist

(Indian politics) An adherent of Dravidianism.


Dravidianism

(Indian politics) A belief in the need for autonomy and unity, and sometimes the inherent superiority, of the Dravidian peoples of South India.


Rajya Sabha

Transliteration of Hindi राज्य सभा (rājya sabhā, literally “State House”).

translit

Coordinate term: Lok Sabha

The upper house of the Parliament of Republic of India.


congi

From Congress, short for Indian National Congress, a major political party in India.

(India, slang, politics, derogatory) A liberal or a leftist, accused of opposing India, Hinduism, or Hindu nationalism.


saffron terror

From the symbolic use of the saffron colour by Hindu nationalist organisations.

Acts of terrorism motivated by Hindu nationalism.


Coalgate

A small town in Selwyn District, Canterbury, New Zealand, where lignite was mined.

A small city, the county seat of Coal County, Oklahoma, United States.

A former unincorporated community in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States.


Chanakya

/ˈtʃɑːnəkjə/

/ˈt͡ʃɑnəkjə/

From Sanskrit चाणक्य (Cāṇakya). Chanakya was an Indian economist, philosopher, political scientist, and royal advisor of the 4th century B.C.E. He is traditionally identified as the person named Kauṭilya or Vishnugupta who authored the Arthashastra, a political treatise. He engineered the collapse of Magadha and put Chandragupta Maurya into power, establishing the Maurya Empire.

But these methods of the Chāṇakyas—the Macchiavellis of India—unfortunately always carry the seeds of destruction in their bosom.

1908, The Theosophist, volume 29, Adyar, Madras: Theosophical Publishing House, →OCLC, page 722:

[T]hose who have shed their wings, who walk by thrusting a walking stick into the mud with each step are regarded as the epitome of wisdom by the Chanakyas of our society …

2006, Rabindranath Tagore, edited by Uma Das Gupta, My Life in My Words, New Delhi: Penguin Viking, →ISBN:

I can see why Jawaharlal Nehru once flirted with the idea of becoming a Chanakya, even as he laughed at himself for such fantasising. He had no time for [Niccolò] Machiavelli.

2010, M[obashar] J[awed] Akbar, Have Pen, Will Travel: Observations of a Globetrotter, New Delhi: Lotus Collection, →ISBN:

"So, are we dealing with a Chanakya here?" "Yes, but Chanakya with a difference. Whereas, the original Chanakya helped a fifteen-year-old Chandragupta fight against the injustices and inconsistencies of the world, here is one who chooses to fight with hidden weapons against an unarmed fifteen-year-old, and that too in the garb of friendship. The modern Chanakya deserves kudos for explicit bravery."

2015, Ajit Sherawat, “The Siblings Settle Down”, in Born in the Second Wind, New Delhi: Srishti Publishers & Distributors, →ISBN, page 36:

Existence of an enemy within is tantamount to kicking a self-goal. Chanakyas of the modern era excel in the art of intrigue, to destroy their business/political nemesis, and abet and celebrate self-goals by their opponents.

2016, Kooveli Madom, “Factors Influencing Our Predicament”, in Know Your Enemy Within: Bridging Knowledge and Practice of Management, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Partridge Publishing, →ISBN:

(India) A shrewd politician or, in general, a cunning person; a Machiavelli.

Arthashastra
Chanakya
Chandragupta Maurya
Magadha
Maurya Empire


Porki

Blend of pork + Paki. Consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam, Pakistan’s predominant and official religion. By surface analysis, pork + -i.

(derogatory, offensive, slang, ethnic slur) A Pakistani.


sarkari

Borrowed from Hindi सरकारी (sarkārī). The usage of "sarkari" as a negative term originated from Khalistani supporters who condemned Sikhs who supported the government of India.

sarkari Musalman

a Muslim who favours BJP policies instead of Muslim activism

(India, Islam, slang) Supporting the government of India, pro-establishment; specifically, the BJP and Hindutva, against Indian Muslim interests.


sickular

en-adj

sickular (comparative more sickular, superlative most sickular)

more sickular (comparative)
most sickular (superlative)

'Sickular bigscreen operator!' screamed another, shaking his fist in the direction of the Congress dugout. Modi moved.

(India, derogatory, slang) Leftist; in Indian politics, a supposed secularist partaking in tokenism, or opposed to Hindu nationalism.


sickular

(India, derogatory, slang, politics) A leftist; in Indian politics, a secularist, either partaking in tokenism, or opposed to Hindu nationalism.


bhakt

kattar

towards strict and overtly-devout Hindus

andh bhakt

blind devotee; Indian politics; referring to a fervent supporter

Ram bhakt

devotee of Rama; politics; a worshipper of Rama or a fervent supporter of Hindutva

In commenting on these stories, Ganga Giri selects the virtues of suffering and sacrifice exhibited variously by the male bhakts as characteristic of renunciant bhakti.

2014, Antoinette Elizabeth DeNapoli, Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism, and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan, page 83:

Although Sankardeb himself may have had disciples in his close circle from different religions and castes, in Majuli the interpretation has become rigid — none of them allow Scheduled Caste or tribal people to become bhakts and live in the […]

2000, Sumita Ghose, Sanjoy's Assam: Diaries and Writings of Sanjoy Ghose:

In the case of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything is His energy. So wherever the bhakta goes or whatever he perceives throughout the universe, he is reminded of the Lord. Moreover, this recognition is not merely an intellectual habit but a total, overpowering state of love.

1991, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, chapter 4, in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, The Secrets of Transcendental Love:

(Hinduism) Someone who practises bhakti; a person who is devoted to God; a devotee; a worshipper; a religious disciple.

(derogatory, slang, religious slur) A devout Hindu.

Even if Modi didn't look closely at his tweets, his team and followers certainly did. If the Gandhi family had their political chamchas, Modi had his 'Internet Hindus' (or bhakts, as I called them).

2015, Rajdeep Sardesai, 2014: The Election That Changed India:

For example, I've met Modi myself and interviewed him twice. But these Modi bhakts might pray to him every morning, yet they'll never enjoy such access.

2016, Sonali Acharjee, Look Up: Social Media and the Addiction No One Is Talking About:

Our nation is divided into Modi Bhakts and Aaptards (#SorryCongress). This is why elections are also fought on the appeal of individuals rather than on the actions of the parties (#PaanchSaalKejriwal #AbkiBaarModiSarkar).

2017, Revant Himatsingka, Selfienomics: A Seriously Funny Guide to Living the Good Life:

(India, derogatory, politics, slang) An ardent right-wing Hindu nationalist netizen.

(India, derogatory, politics, slang) An ardent supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party or its leader Narendra Modi.


BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party
w:Bharatiya Janata Party

(Indian politics) Initialism of Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party.


EWS

economically weaker section
economically weaker section#English

(Indian politics) Initialism of economically weaker section.


Love Jihad

(India) An alleged campaign by which Muslim men target women of non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam by feigning romantic love.

land jihad

alleged purchase of land owned by Hindus


swayamsevak

From Hindi स्वयंसेवक (svayansevak), from Sanskrit स्वयम् (svayam, “self”) and सेवक (sevaka, “servant”).

(India, politics) A member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an Indian nationalist paramilitary volunteer organization.


cow belt

From the widespread practices venerating cattle in that region in northern India. Influenced by the English term Bible Belt.

(India) A rural region of Northern India, extending over the BIMARU states.


gram sansad

From Bengali গ্রাম সংসদ (gram śoṅśod, literally “village parliament”), which is a learned borrowing of Sanskrit ग्राम (grāma) and संसद (saṃsada).

bor

(West Bengal) A body comprising all the voters of gram panchayat constituency, meeting at the behest of the head of the panchayat to discuss and implement local decisions.


INC

Indian National Congress
w:Indian National Congress

(Indian politics) Initialism of Indian National Congress.


Hinduphobic

en-adj

Hinduphobic (comparative more Hinduphobic, superlative most Hinduphobic)

more Hinduphobic (comparative)
most Hinduphobic (superlative)

(India, politics) Opposed to Hindutva or Hindu nationalism.


katwa

Borrowed from Hindi कटवा (kaṭvā), derived from Hindi काटना (kāṭnā, “to cut”), referring to the Muslim practice of circumcision.

(India, offensive, derogatory, religious slur) a Muslim man.

sulla

other insulting terms directed at Indian or Pakistani Muslims


VHP

Vishwa Hindu Parishad
w:Vishwa Hindu Parishad

(Indian politics, Hindutva) Initialism of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a Hindu nationalist organization.


swadeshist

(India) One who supports a policy of swadeshi.


Hindutvist

A supporter of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism.


DMK

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
w:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

(Indian politics) Initialism of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a political party.


moral police

A special police force in some conservative countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Malaysia that enforces religious laws by punishing sinners.


rice bag

Ricebag Poperverts who sip blood of Jessus should be the last one to mock bhakts :)))

(India, religious slur, ethnic slur) A Christian, especially one who has just embraced Christianity.


Porkistan

Blend of pork + Pakistan. Consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam, Pakistan’s predominant and official religion. By surface analysis, pork + -i- + -stan.

Coordinate term: Endia

(derogatory, offensive, slang) Pakistan.


librandu

(India, derogatory, politics, slang) An ardent supporter of the Indian National Congress or its leader Rahul Gandhi.


rashtravadi

Borrowed from Hindi राष्ट्रवादी (rāṣṭravādī).

bor+

The Hindu rashtravadis should take lessons from the fate of Pakistan which due to the stupidity of its leaders lost its eastern wing and remains united with great difficulty and repression.

1991, Islamic Perspective: Volume 7, Issue 2, Bombay: Institute of Islamic Studies, page 440:

Attempts to ‘unify’ the Hindus into being Indian rashtravadis are bound to produce similarly disastrous results, as we can see from the continuous ethnic strife in Pakistan.

1998, Madhu Kishwar, Religion at the service of nationalism and other essays, Delhi: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 274, →ISBN:

The Congress-led UPA government has interpreted the electoral verdict of Lok Sabha elections of May 2004 as a defeat of religion-based politics of Hindu Rashtravadis and the victory of the secular political formations.

2006, Chandra Prakash Bhambhri, Sonia in Power: UPA Government, 2004-2006, Delhi: Shipra, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 187, →ISBN:

(chiefly India) A nationalist, especially a Hindutvist or supporter of Hindutva.


namazi

From Urdu نماز (namāz), Urdu نمازی (namāzī), and their source, Persian نماز (namâz).

(India, Pakistan, Islam) A devout Muslim.

(India, Pakistan, Islam, Internet slang, derogatory) A Muslim, especially a bigot or a religious extremist.


Jaichand

Borrowed from Hindi जयचंद (jaycand)/जयचन्द (jaycand), from Sanskrit जय (jaya, “victory”) + चन्द्र (candra, “moon”); Hindi variant of Sanskrit जयचन्द्र (jayacandra, “Jayachandra”), a Gahadavala king whose rule immediately preceded the Ghurid Muslim conquest of much of India, and who was unfairly accused in the poem Prithviraj Raso of conspiring with the Ghurids against India in order to defeat his rival Prithviraj.

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2021, Devdutt Patanaik, MumbaiMirrorhttps://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/others/sunday-read/someone-who-subscribed-to-a-larger-idea-one-that-went-beyond-the-self/articleshow/78467866.cms
But in Hindutva mythology, Jaichand is the archetypal traitor because of whom Muslims are able to invade and conquer India, overpowering the valiant Rajputs.

(India, politics, slang, derogatory) One who opposes Hindutva and supports its enemies, a traitor, especially a race traitor.

Gahadavala dynasty
Jayachandra
Prithviraj Chauhan


bhagwa

Transliteration of Hindi भगवा (bhagvā, “saffron”). Saffron is a sacred colour in Hinduism, and it is also associated with ultra-nationalist Hindtuva groups.

translit

(Indian politics, Hindutva, slang, derogatory) a Hindutvavadi, a supporter of Hindutva or Hindu nationalism.


sanghi

From Hindi संघी (saṅghī), from Hindi राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ (rāṣṭrīya svayansevak saṅgh), a Hindu nationalist right-wing group in India. Ultimately from Sanskrit सङ्घ (saṅgha, “heap, multitude, crowd”).

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राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ

sanghification

making something more closer to Hindu nationalism

BJP leaders including H Raja posted clips of old newspapers and posters to support Rajini’s [Rajinikanth, an Indian film actor] claim about the Salem rally, while the DMK and its allies mocked the actor for "superficial" comments and aligning with right-wingers even before launching his political party formally. Hashtags like "Can't apologise" and "Sanghi Rajini" were trending through the day.

(India) a Hindutvavadi or a Hindu nationalist or patriotismic.


Ramrajya

Borrowed from Hindi रामराज्य (rāmrājya).

(India, Hinduism) The reign of Rama's rule in the kingdom of Ayodhya, in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

"The VHP will now focus more on establishing ' Ram Rajya ', a harmonious society based on equality, where every person will be treated with dignity." - Alok Kumar

(India, Hinduism, Hindutva) a government or society ruled under Hindutva.


Lok Sabha

Transliteration of Hindi लोक सभा (lok sabhā, literally “People's House”).

translit

Coordinate term: Rajya Sabha

The lower house of the Parliament of Republic of India.


Akhand Bharat

Transliteration of Hindi अखंड भारत (akhaṇḍ bhārat).

(Indian politics) Undivided India; a proposed superstate where the other countries of South Asia are joined into India.

(Hindutva) A state proposed by Hindutva supporters that claims several other nearby countries and regions as former Hindu or Indianised cultures such as Myanmar, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia. This superstate also includes the rest of South Asia and sometimes Tibet and Yunnan.


Ghazwa-e-Hind

Partly re-Arabized form of Urdu غزوہ ہند (ġazvā-e hind), from Classical Persian غزوهٔ هند (ğazwa-yi hind), from Arabic غزوة الهند (“battle of Hind [India]”).

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(South Asia, politics) Alleged attempts by Islamist groups to conquer the Republic of India.


Sanatani

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit सनातनी (sanātanī, “of the eternal [way], Hindu”).

lbor

(India, Hinduism, religious slur, politics) a traditionalist Hindu


sarkari Muslim

The usage of sarkari as a negative term originated from Khalistani supporters who condemned Sikhs who supported the government of India. It was later adopted by Muslim activists and nationalists within India.

Shahbagi

equivalent term in Bangladesh used for liberals and opponents of Islam

(India, derogatory, slang, ethnic slur) A Muslim who supports India, especially the BJP and Hindutva, at the expense of other Muslims, a Muslim Indian race traitor.


libbu

(India, politics, derogatory, vulgar, Internet slang) A liberal, a leftist.

raita

a conservative Hindu who does not support Hindutva


savarna

From Hindi सवर्ण (savarṇ), derived from Sanskrit सवर्ण (savarṇa, “same colour, same caste”).

der

(India, Hinduism) A member of the Savarna gotra (lineage) of the Brahmin caste.


Ghar Wapsi

Transliteration of Hindi घर वापसी (ghar vāpsī, literally “to return home”), from घर (ghar, “home”) and वापसी (vāpsī, “return, coming back”). The term owes to the Hindu nationalist ideology that all people of India in ancient times were Hindus, so by converting to Hinduism they were returning to the religion of their ancestors.

translit

(India, Hinduism, Hindutva) Conversion of non-Hindu people to Hinduism.


Urduwood

Four, although Baahubali is not a Bollywood film, Baahubali trolls resent the success of Bollywood’s three Khans, because they are non-Hindus – hence the “Urduwood” taunt.

(India, Hindutva, informal, Internet slang) Bollywood.


sickularism

(India, Indian politics, derogatory) Secularism, viewed as being anti-Hindu.


TMC

(Indian politics) Initialism of Trinamool Congress, a political party.


Tukde Tukde Gang

Borrowed from Hindi टुकड़े टुकड़े गैंग (ṭukṛe ṭukṛe gaiṅg), from Hindi टुकड़ा (ṭukṛā, “fragment”). Coined by the journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, later popularised after an alleged video of Jawaharlal Nehru University students calling for India to be divided during a protest.

bor+

टुकड़े टुकड़े गैंग

(India, Indian politics, Hindutva) Leftist mass-media groups and companies that oppose Narendra Modi's administration and Hindutva.


Godi media

en-noun

Godi media (countable and uncountable, plural Godi medias)

From Hindi गोदी (godī, “lap”) + media, referring to the mentioned media as “lap dogs” of Narendra Modi. Coined by journalist Ravish Kumar.

(uncountable, India, Indian politics, derogatory) Mass media that supports Narendra Modi and Hindutva.


SUCI

Socialist Unity Centre of India
w:Socialist Unity Centre of India

(Indian politics) Initialism of Socialist Unity Centre of India, a political party.


AIADMK

w:All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

(Indian politics) Initialism of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a political party.


RJD

Rashtriya Janata Dal
w:Rashtriya Janata Dal

(Indian politics) Initialism of Rashtriya Janata Dal, a political party.


Jai Shri Ram

Borrowed from Hindi जय श्री राम (jay śrī rām).

(Hinduism) "Victory to Lord Rama"; a salute or invocation towards the Hindu god Rama.

ജയ് ശ്രീ റാം

jayŭ śrī ṟāṁ


Greater Bangladesh

(Indian politics, Bangladeshi politics) A conspiracy theory circulated by far-right Indian politicians and writers claiming a planned annexation India’s eastern states by neighbouring Bangladesh.

Indian politics; Bangladeshi politics; Indian politics; Bangladeshi politics


AITUC

All India Trade Union Congress
w:All India Trade Union Congress

(Indian politics) Initialism of All India Trade Union Congress (a trade union founded in 1920).


WhatsApp University

Compound of WhatsApp + university, mocking the level of knowledge of those who primarily use WhatsApp rumours as a source.

(India, Indian politics, slang, derogatory) Rumours spread through social media as a source for information, usually through WhatsApp.


YCP

(Indian politics) Initialism of YSR Congress Party, a political party.


YSRCP

w:Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party

(Indian politics) Initialism of Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party, a political party.


Khalistani

en-adjective

Khalistani (comparative more Khalistani, superlative most Khalistani)

more Khalistani (comparative)
most Khalistani (superlative)

From Khalistan + -i. Derived from Punjabi ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ (xālistān, literally “place of Khalsa”).

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Hindu and Sikh groups in Canada came together on Monday to pass a resolution against Khalistani groups. According to sources, a meeting was conducted by the Khalsa Diwan Society Ross Street Vancouver Gurudwara where 36 societies of Hindus and Sikhs participated with almost 1,000 people present. The groups passed a resolution against Khalistani extremists and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

2024 November 4, “Hindu, Sikh Groups in Canada Pass Resolution Against Khalistanis And Trudeau”, in News18:

(Indian politics) Supporting a militant separatist movement that advocates for a separate Sikh state by waging war against the Indian government.


Macaulay's children

Sanatani

a devout Hindu who values traditionalist Hinduism

From Thomas Babington Macaulay, a British politician who made English the language used by higher levels of formal education in India. The term refers to his views towards traditional Indian culture and the Hindu religion, which he described as stagnant and unfit for the modern world.

(India, derogatory, slang, politics, ethnic slur) Indian people who reject their native culture in favour of westernization.


Lutyens' media

From Edwin Lutyens, a British architect who designed the city of New Delhi, which was also known as "Lutyens' Delhi".
Because it contained the Parliament building, it was also known as "Lutyens' zone", and the name "Lutyens" became associated with leftist politicians.

(India, derogatory, slang, Hindutva) Leftist-aligned mass media.


Hindumisia

From Hindu + -misia (as in misogyny or misotheism). Sometimes used as an alternative to the word Hinduphobia, to point out hatred towards Hindus or Hinduism as opposed to being afraid of Hindus or Hinduism.

(India, neologism, rare) Hatred of Hinduism and Hindu people.


Hindumisic

en-adj

Hindumisic (comparative more Hindumisic, superlative most Hindumisic)

more Hindumisic (comparative)
most Hindumisic (superlative)

(India, politics) Opposed to Hindutva or Hindu nationalism.


Jai Hind

Borrowed from Hindi जय हिंद (jay hind), from जय (jay, “hail to, victory”) and हिंद (hind, “India”). Coined by Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian freedom activist.

(India, politics) "Victory to India", a patriotic slogan raised to salute or celebrate India.


urban Naxal

Coined by Indian filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri in Urban Naxals: The Making of Buddha in a Traffic Jam, a 2018 book about his 2014 film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. Referring to the group's alleged ties with communist militants for left-wing beliefs, support for socialism, and hostility to Hindu nationalism.

(Indian politics, derogatory, slang, chiefly Hindutva, politics) a liberal or a leftist.

Indian politics; chiefly Hindutva; Indian politics; chiefly Hindutva


Hindu Rashtra

Compound of Hindu + Sanskrit राष्ट्र (rāṣṭra, “state, nation”); possibly an unadapted borrowing from Hindi or another Indian language.

com+

The RSS has been in existence since 1925. It considered the whole of India to be Hindu Rashtra. The way India was partitioned only confirmed the RSS view about Hindu Rashtra which is in keeping with the modern concept of nationalism.

1982, Balraj Madhok, Rationale of Hindu State, page 99:

Even as Pakistan had been declared an Islamic state, India should be declared a Hindu Rashtra, they argued.[…]A nation is a nation but when everyone starts calling it Hindu Rashtra or a Sikh nation or a Muslim nation then it becomes a theocratic State.

1998, The Muse and the Minorities: Social Concerns and Creative Cohesion : International Seminar, Papers and Proceedings, Steering Committee the Muse and Minorities, pages 172, 384:

The end game is the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra, an ethnic democracy predicated on their ideology of Hindutva, an ethno-religious nationalism holding that the cultural values of Hinduism (as interpreted by the Hindu Right) are indistinguishable from the national identity of India.

2021 December 11, Antara Chakraborthy, Pravin Prakash, “Uttar Pradesh 2022: A Blueprint for the Yogi’s Hindu Rashtra”, in The Diplomat:

He said the country is facing “a moment of crisis” with the RSS aiming to turn it into a Hindu Rashtra if it manages to win the next elections.

2022 September 20, “Kerala Governor has mindset of an RSS worker, says CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan”, in The Hindu:

(Hindutva, Hindudom, Hinduism) the (idealised) administration of India under a theocratic government as a Hindu state as sought by Hindu nationalists


Bangabhumi

Borrowed from Bengali বঙ্গভূমি (boṅgobhumi, “Land of Vanga”).

bor

(now) A sovereign state proposed by separatists to be established as a homeland for Bengali Hindus.


Sangh

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
w:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

(India, Indian politics, Hindutva) Ellipsis of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.


Porkistani

Blend of pork + Pakistani, or from Porkistan + -i.

(India, derogatory, offensive, slang, ethnic slur) A Pakistani.


ULFA

United Liberation Front of Asom
w:United Liberation Front of Asom

(Indian politics) Initialism of United Liberation Front of Asom.


CPI(M)

Communist Party of India (Marxist)
w:Communist Party of India (Marxist)

(Indian politics) Initialism of Communist Party of India (Marxist), a political party.


INDIA

w:Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance

(Indian politics) Initialism of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, a political alliance.


ABVP

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
w:Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad

(Indian politics) Initialism of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student organization in India.


SIMI

Students' Islamic Movement of India
w:Students' Islamic Movement of India

(Indian politics) Initialism of Students' Islamic Movement of India, a banned organization in India.


H-pop

From H (“Hindutva”) + pop, by analogy with J-pop.

On another occasion, H-pop singer Kanhiya Mittal sang a duet with a BJP lawmaker whose lyrics read “the saffron is getting deeper”, a reference to the colour of Hinduism and the BJP's own party colours, […]

2024 May 4, John Reed, “How to interpret India?”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 9:

(music) Hindutva pop music; Indian nationalist pop music.