India’s story over the decades since independence can be described as one of contrast. A contrast between the two republics that were and are India. One republic existed in the years after independence, shaped by the memory of empire and colonisation, and with a determination to walk on a new path. The other is the India of the present, shaped by new political ideas, rapid economic growth, and a different moral vocabulary of power. The two republics carry the same name, and the same constitution, but they rarely feel like the same political world. One placed its sense of purpose in secularism, welfare, and a principled and cautious foreign policy. The other projects confidence and ambition, but leans towards majoritarian impulse, corporatisation of the economy, and an admiration for strongmen abroad. The early republic was never perfect, but it tried to move within a framework of ideals, which it took seriously. Secularism was meant to stabilise a deeply diverse country that was emergi...
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