Did Modi just kill the idea of India?

The idea of India as seen from the lens of one living overseas is a complicated one, as it is for those resident there. But there are certain things that have stood out beyond the extremities of atrocities and great achievements.

Compared to pretty much any nation on earth, India has managed a relatively successful attempt at democracy, of tolerance, of honouring its commitments and most importantly perhaps, staying steadfast in support of fundamental human freedoms.

However messily observed, one could compare India's press, its constitution and the acceptance, however unwilling, of its arms of government to abide by and enforce its own laws with any other country and not be embarrassed.

Every time communal politics led to violence, there was also always a competing narrative of fairness, equality and freedom to reassure us that however vicious the reality, we were all committed to live in a society within the spirit of our constitution and the rule of law.

Even if justice was almost always long delayed, the idea of justice in India flowed from its constitution and politicians had to bow before its ideals of freedom of faith, belief and expression, free of bias and achievable.

After the Modi government's actions in Kashmir though, these ideals and the moral equanimity they conferred on all Indians seem to have finally been abandoned outright.

Kashmir was always an uncomfortable talking point for Indians overseas because it was pretty clear that the Indian presence resembled an occupation more than anything else. But there were political parties affording a semblance of democracy, a judicial framework and freedom of movement, belief and communication, albeit all curtailed to varying degrees.

Compared to the treatment of minorities in its immediate neighbourhood, Indians had at least the ability to claim moral equivalence, if not superiority on their treatment of Kashmiri Muslims.

But now, a contract that was the basis for Kashmir to join India is simply expunged from the constitution as if it never existed-dishonouring a fundamental promise to Kashmiris while simultaneously killing all freedoms in that state. All the tolerance and celebration of diversity that Indians are so prone to pontificating about have been thrown out of the window in one fell swoop.

However limited the access earlier afforded to Kashmiri Muslims- to the judiciary, to travel, to the internet, to the telephone and even the bus-all of that is gone while the entire might of the Indian military apparatus seems to be in Kashmir. If this is such a victory for Indian democracy and Kashmir, what is the government so afraid of?

The moral certitude that Indians have long held that their treatment of minorities is way better than their neighbours seems like a joke now. Revelling in the fact that the a "Press" badge was the one thing all Indian politicians and policemen were afraid of now seems to be the naive delusion of dotards.

Is an India that unapologetically stomps on the rights of non-hindus, brands everything it doesn't agree with fake news, condones or at least looks the other way regularly when its opponents are persecuted verbally and physically still true to the idea of India?

Even though this muscular, parochial nationalism is the current flavour of the month, there is hope in that just it has done innumerable times in the past, India will find a way to absorb these body blows and emerge stronger in its commitment to its highest ideals and aspirations.

Having rejected the opposition's so-called blatant placating of minorities, will the Indian electorate also reject the attempt at a wholesale conversion of India into a Hindu Rashtra by the current dispensation?

Watching from the outside, as Modi after 370 joins Trump in attempting to redefine their countries in an unabashedly majoritarian, traditionalist fashion, at least the choices for the voters are getting starkly defined. The next elections will be much more for the soul and the idea of America and India than the economy or bread and butter issues.

The future of the whole world may depend on it.