“These freedom fighters operated independently of Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, undermining Gandhi and nonviolence within India’s independence movement, ” according to the article, headlined: Modi is Rewriting India’s National Narrative. “By highlighting them in the speech, Modi subtly pushed back against the conventional narrative and Gandhi’s central role in it,” it said. Instead, according to the article, Modi sought to define Indians as Hindus. Finally, Modi used the occasion to launch familiar jabs against the opposition Indian National Congress party while overlooking critical challenges facing the Indian state—including religious intolerance, it was pointed out. Modi’s speech this week reflects the departure that India’s contemporary leaders have made from these foundational values.”
