For decades, India’s political class maintained a cautious distance from the country’s deeply rooted civilizational heritage of Hinduism
While governing a nation steeped in ancient tradition, leaders often cloaked their public personas in modern, secular neutrality.
This version of secularism, critics argue, resembled a quiet disavowal of India’s civilizational core—a hesitance to acknowledge the cultural ethos that has long defined the country.
That paradigm is now being actively dismantled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not merely altered the narrative; he has redefined the entire framework.
In his third consecutive term, PM Modi appears not chastened by a reduced parliamentary majority, but emboldened.
The government is pressing forward with its cultural project, one that seeks not to impose a theocracy but to affirm a civilizational identity—confident, inclusive, and forward-facing.
Ram Mandir: A Symbol Of Reclamation
A striking example of this cultural assertion is the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
For years, the dispute over the site was politically fraught, mired in legal ambiguities and communal sensitivities.
Previous governments hesitated, fearing backlash or division. PM Modi’s approach marked a decisive shift to facilitate a legal resolution, then celebrate the outcome as a national moment of restoration.
The temple, now rising from the dust of historical contention, symbolises more than religious devotion.
It stands as a spiritual and cultural anchor, India embracing a chapter of its own history long neglected.
This was not an act of triumphalism, but one of reconciliation: a nation finally looking in the mirror and accepting its reflection.
Article 370 And The Push For Integration
The abrogation of Article 370, similarly, marked a profound act of civilizational consolidation.
Critics called it a heavy-handed political move; the government described it as overdue integration.
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By revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, PM Modi’s administration brought the region constitutionally in line with the rest of the country.
Now, the residents of Srinagar and Jammu are part of the same digital and developmental ecosystem as their counterparts in Bengaluru or Bhubaneswar.
Roads, digital infrastructure, and central schemes have begun reshaping lives, offering proof that national integration need not come at the cost of identity but rather, in service of inclusion and opportunity.
Projecting Culture On The Global Stage
PM Modi’s confidence in India’s cultural heritage extends far beyond its borders. Gifting the Bhagavad Gita to foreign leaders, for instance, is not just diplomatic tokenism—it’s a gesture of civilizational pride.
Championing the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations has globalised India’s spiritual and wellness philosophy.
Yoga, now practised in Hyde Park and Harlem alike, carries with it the quiet influence of India’s ancient traditions.
These acts are deliberate and symbolic. PM Modi presents his heritage not as relics of the past but as assets for the future.
His participation in rituals and public shlokas isn’t political theatre—it’s an assertion that Indian identity need not be partitioned into private belief and public silence.
Healing The Hindu Fabric From Within
Domestically, PM Modi is also attempting to address long-standing fissures within the Hindu majority itself.
Caste divisions, regional sectarianism, and historical inequities have long diluted the strength of Hindu unity.
Through calls for ‘Samajik Samrasta’ (social harmony) and strong criticism of caste discrimination, PM Modi seeks to forge a more unified Hindu identity resilient enough to navigate modernity without being fractured by it.
This vision is larger than mere political consolidation; it is about civilizational resilience. A majority that remains internally divided cannot act as a stable foundation for national progress.
The aim, as outlined by both the BJP and its ideological partner the RSS, is a coherent, inclusive, and self-assured Hindu identity.
Criticism And The False Binary Of Secularism
Unsurprisingly, critics label this approach as majoritarianism, accusing the government of subverting secular ideals.
But their arguments often rest on a notion of secularism that demands the majority’s heritage remain hidden, even as other identities are publicly celebrated.
True pluralism, as the government posits, does not require erasure—it requires equal dignity for all traditions, including the majority’s.
To dismiss PM Modi’s civilizational emphasis as mere divisiveness is to ignore the wider project: grounding India in its unique cultural foundations to give it global standing and internal cohesion.
Post-Election: No Retreat From Core Vision
After the 2024 general election, in which the BJP lost its outright majority in the Lok Sabha, many expected a softening of tone, a pivot towards centrism or the return of ‘coalition dharma’.
Editorials speculated about a more diluted PM Modi, restrained by numbers.
Yet, PM Modi 3.0 has signalled no such retreat. If anything, the resolve appears stronger.
Rather than interpreting the mandate as a rejection of his civilizational project, PM Modi seems to view it as a call to deepen it.
The cultural anchoring of ‘Viksit Bharat’—a developed India—remains at the heart of his agenda.
Tradition And Progress: A False Choice Rejected
Crucially, this embrace of tradition is paired with aggressive development.
New motorways, digital banking via UPI, expanded solar energy usage, and robust national security initiatives show a country charging ahead.
These are not distractions from the civilizational message but extensions of it.
PM Modi’s proposition is clear: India’s future cannot be built by severing ties with its past.
Instead, strength lies in the integration of heritage and innovation, of ancient values and modern aspirations.
A nation that knows where it comes from walks more confidently into where it is going.
Conclusion
In PM Modi’s third term, India is not just pursuing economic growth or political consolidation.
It is engaging in something far more profound: the reclamation of its soul. Civilizational confidence, long dormant, is now at the heart of its governance and diplomacy.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with PM Modi’s methods, the transformation is undeniable.
India, it seems, is finally walking tall, rooted, resurgent, and ready for the world.
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