The Identity Project: The Unmaking of a Democracy
Rahul Bhatia's searing investigation into India's political transformation begins with the 2020 Delhi riots, but stretches far deeper. Through six years of rigorous research, he traces how Hindu nationalist ideology germinated in the 1800s, drew inspiration from European fascism, and ultimately metastasised into the state apparatus itself. What emerges is a chilling portrait of how misinformation and religious animus became tools of governance. At the heart of this narrative sits India's vast biometric database, conceived ostensibly as administrative infrastructure yet weaponised alongside the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. The result? A reversal of democratic principle so profound that the state now determines who belongs, rather than citizens deciding their rulers. Bhatia's meticulous assembly of interviews, historical documents and Partition-era archives reveals how this ideological shift has fractured the social contract, threatening minorities with a precarious, diminished status. This isn't merely a political analysis. It's a story about how nations remake themselves, how ordinary choices accumulate into systemic injustice, and how ordinary citizens become both architects and victims of transformation. Bhatia compels us to confront uncomfortable truths about belonging, identity and the fragility of democratic guarantees. Essential reading for anyone grappling with contemporary India.
- Author: Rahul Bhatia
- Publisher: Context
- Genre: Social Sciences
- ISBN: 978-9360458195
- Pages: 464 pages