Vijayvan, it’s a positive argument, not a normative one. Think about it a bit more.

Bloody N-Indians

@Slapstik

kRtajJa ?

sindhuvastUNi = INDTHINGS ?

// Slapstik and you are talking about how Hindus apparently have had to be apologetic about their religion //

I don’t know about others but I have not said what you’re imputing to me. Maybe you need to read it again, and carefully this time 🙂

On an unrelated note, you are fast becoming my favourite commentator right behind the heels of sarpamaugdheya and sindhuvastUNi. So, I hereby christen you anuloka 🙂

@Kabir:

Found STEMbros term somewhere and found it perfectly captures this demographic and its disinformed, privileged pretend-victimhood. It is really astonishing this phenomenon is so under-studied and still not on anyone’s radar.

Definitional features of a STEMbrother:

*Middle to upper middle-class Hindus (mostly UC, some OBC), often expats
*Privileged existence in India
*Graduate/post-graduates in technical / business studies (STEM), absent or limited academic exposure to politics and humanities
*Pretty good English vocab
*May be socially liberal

AND
*Radicalized via disinformation on SM/ online communities / message boards
*Believe Hindus victimized for 70 years by crypto-Muslim INC, and 600 years before that
*Mostly detached from average life in India, little idea of what victimhood actually is
*Exposure to everyday minority life through online caricatures and stereotypes
*None or rare Muslim class-peers

@Arjun:

You are now misrepresenting what I am saying. You are welcome to disagree with me vehemently but not to mischaracterize me.

On these pages, without any leading, I have severely criticized the Kashmir “movement” as a largely Islamist/jihadist one and debated it with at least 2 individuals. I also speak against the chilling killings of rationalists/atheist & Hindu bloggers in Bangladesh. To me the natural corollary of criticizing Islamist-jihadists is criticizing Savarkarite Hindutva.

Reason I was drawn to this board initially was because they offer such strong critiques of Islamist majoritarianism in Pakistan (and Bangladesh). I started my online commenting “career” on a turn-of-century Pak-run board criticizing Pak nationalism-majoritarianism and Islamism. Was a Tarek Fatah fan till about 2015, when he clearly left behind his liberalism and threw in lot with most extreme Hindutva (till he interfaced with official Hindutva, he was pretty balanced and would criticized VHP extremists, etc).

I allow ordinary Hindus and Muslims the benefit of doubt of ignorance. Nope, sorry, I cannot allow the BJP/RSS or their apologists that benefit.

I really need to release the Professor Devji podcast.

“The BJP/NDA won in a landslide. Whatever views you impute to the BJP, they certainly aren’t “radical.””

This would not be the first time large swathes of population have been influenced by a radical and extremist ideology. There is a term for that.
But I am not saying that- most voted for their economics and because Modi ji called and hinted that to continue the Rs. 2000 scheme he needed to be re-elected.
It is the STEMbros who present ideological defenses for Modi-Shah-Pragya-Sarangi knowing well the direction and degeneration of the party (not center-right or even pretending), and knowing well it is not moving anywhere in a fiscally conservative direction- their last fig leaves have been blown away and they don’t care!

“Dude I wasn’t even born when the Rath Yatra happened, it’s not on my mental radar at all.”

Me: Why the Nazi salute?
White trash nationalist: Dude wasn’t even born around the Nazis!