India is a conservative country.

Almost all Indians across religious and linguistic spectrum are conservatives and deeply believe in only the authenticity of their conception of God.
/1

Don’t think appealing to better angels of these majoritarians would make them suddenly secular.

Initially people prioritized other identities over religious identity when voting that’s why in such a religious country Janasangh never became a thriving force. /2

This lasted till conservatism didn’t start to aggressively court these latent desires.

This aggressive religious nationalist desire obviously coincided with market opening and the awakening of consumerist desires /3

As certain economic security has been achieved by the ‘middle class’ the religious fervor has strengthened more and shall keep doing.

Just like there weren’t any secular moral imperatives to not vote Jan Sangh, there’s no moral high ground that’ll make them stop voting BJP. /4

Frankly, that secular moral democratic consciousness doesn’t even exist in most Indians across any religion.

The only way to tackle this religious fervor would be to appeal to some other identity that people will start to prioritize. /5

Like Dalit assertion or a women’s right movement. After all, all religions have a higher margin negative impact on their women believers

and if this idea is made more mainstream. There can be a new political equation develop that can take on this religious nationalism. /6

Anyway, long story short if you’re waiting to change people with moral platitudes it’s equivalent to preaching quantum physics to a three year old. It’ll only frustrate you and BJP in most likelihood would still stay here for a long time. /end