American elections rarely make the Indian news. This massive democracy has perennial political changes of its own to worry about. But US presidential candidate Donald Trump has found his way into the hearts of a strident few in India, where his name is starting to grab headlines.
The rhetoric of these fans is strikingly similar to some of Trump’s most extreme backers within the US — except that these aren’t American white supremacists who demonize Muslims. They’re far-right Indian Hindus who demonize Muslims.
Last month, a group known as the Hindu Sena held a holy fire ritual in New Delhi at which they declared Trump alone will “save humanity from Islam and Islamic terror.”
Vishnu Gupta, the president of the group that organized the ceremony, is unequivocal. “We like [Trump] because he is speaking against Islam,” Gupta said. “He has openly said what is on the mind of all Americans and of the world: ‘Islamic terror is fatal and I will end it.’”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member