In this follow-up to his essay series on the politics of minority-progressive-celebrities (MPCs), Sriram Chellapilla examines the conditioned responses that, he argues, constrain public debate on communalism and secularism in India. He challenges prevailing assumptions about Hinduphobia, minority appeasement, Bollywood’s cultural influence and the equation of Hinduism with Hindutva. Tracing the political and cultural roots of these narratives, the article calls for even-handed scrutiny of religious extremism and a more honest engagement with Hindu concerns. It argues that genuine pluralism requires open debate, not ideological labels that silence dissent.
