Exiled from the Narrative

The Weaponization of Public History by the Bharatiya Janata Party

Abstract

This article explores the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) weaponization of public history as a strategic tool to marginalize Indian Muslims and to reshape national identity through the lens of Hindutva ideology. Through the analysis of textbook revisions, museum transformations and broader changes in cultural policy, this article argues that the BJP is abusing public history to erase Indo-Islamic contributions to India’s historical narrative, particularly through the legacy of the Mughal Empire. While publicly framed as a decolonization of Indian history, this project simply emboldens new forms of cultural supremacy. Drawing on concepts of comfortable exile and Sanskritization, this article demonstrates the internal displacement of minorities from the cultural memory of the nation. Resistance from scholars, students, and other protest movements reveals an ongoing struggle over history's role in defining citizenship and belonging. The BJP’s manipulation of public history serves as a mechanism of political control, threatening India’s pluralistic democracy.