Himal Interviews: The decay of socialism and secularism in India
In June 2025, Himal Southasian launched a podcast series titled Partitions of the Heart in collaboration with Karwan-e-Mohabbat, hosted by the peace activist Harsh Mander. The inaugural season, called ‘Muslim Life – and Death – in Modi’s India’, focuses on the deepening crisis of Muslims in the country. Since 2017, Mander and Karwan-e-Mohabbat have done the extraordinary and difficult work of documenting a rising wave of hate and crimes against India’s Muslims, and of lending support and solidarity to victims of communal atrocities. In Mander’s words, “We live in deeply troubled times of visceral, everyday hate, violence, fear and division. The first step towards healing our growing fractures is to talk and listen to each other.”
This series is part of the effort to bring forward meaningful conversations on the increasing marginalisation and vilification of Muslims in India. In the season’s first episode, Mander spoke to Hilal Ahmed, an academic and writer about his positionality as a practising Muslim and as a scholar looking at Muslim lives and the Muslim experience.
This interview was recorded on 8 March 2025. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.
You can listen to audio versions of this conversation on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Glossary
Jizya: A per-capita yearly tax levied on non-Muslim subjects (dhimmi) living under Islamic law, functioning as a payment for protection, exemption from military service, and the right to practice their faith. Primarily paid by able-bodied, working-age men, it was considered a, or compensation tax rather than a universal penalty.
Quit India Resolution: The Quit India Resolution, also known as the August Resolution, was the formal declaration that launched the Quit India Movement in 1942. It demanded an immediate end to British rule in India and sanctioned a non-violent mass struggle on the widest possible scale.
Cripps Mission: The Cripps Mission was a failed attempt by the British government in March 1942 to secure Indian cooperation during World War II. Led by Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the British War Cabinet, the mission arrived as Japanese forces advanced toward India's borders after the fall of Singapore and Burma.
Hindu Mahasabha: The Hindu Mahasabha is one of India's oldest political and social organisations, primarily formed to protect the interests of the Hindu community. While it began as a pressure group within the Indian National Congress, it later evolved into a distinct political party that pioneered the ideology of Hindutva.
The Jat Rebellion: The Jat Rebellion refers to a series of powerful agrarian and political uprisings by the Jat community against the Mughal Empire, primarily during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658–1707).