How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them

by Jason F. Stanley

India’s citizenship practices since its founding have been liberal and secular. But under the control of BJP, the country is dramatically transforming. India has a National Population Registry and a Census. But both of these count residents, not citizens. In November 2019, India’s Parliament proposed to add a National Register of Citizens (NRC). The task of the NRC is to make decisions about who is and who is not a citizen, to divide the citizens from the non-citizens. Those deemed to be non-citizens will be scheduled for detention and eventual deportation. India has a large body of residents born in India but lacking documentation such as birth certificates that establish this fact. Decisions must be made about who among them should count as a citizen and who should not. There is significant concern, legitimated by the parties behind this project, that the decision will be made on the basis of religion: Muslim residents without the right paperwork will be subject to detention and deportation; Hindus without the right paperwork will be added to the registry.