Asif Mahmood

The Indian NGO RSKS recently launched its book “The Soul of Bharat”. The book dresses India in the language of secularism, constitutional values, and communal harmony. Yet the reality within India tells another story. Under the Modi government, secularism has been hollowed out by the advance of Hindutva ideology. Religious minorities face persecution and violence, making a mockery of the lofty ideals showcased abroad.

India also uses tragedy as a tool. By citing the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, the book’s narrative pushes India’s victimhood to the international stage. The aim is to deflect attention from its own role in sponsoring terror in Pakistan and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of addressing the political roots of the Kashmir conflict, New Delhi clings to militarization and propaganda against Pakistan.

The projection of India as a defender of human rights is equally hollow. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and UN reports have documented custodial deaths, media censorship, and systematic discrimination. Bulldozer politics targeting Muslim communities, mass arrests of journalists, and suppression of dissent cannot be concealed by international book launches.

Cultural diplomacy becomes a smokescreen. Themes........

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