How Donald Trump won over Hindu nationalists, by Milo Comerford. More interesting than I thought.

Two aspects of Trump’s rhetoric have particularly deep resonance for such hardline Hindu groups; his tough stance on Muslim immigration, and his strong rhetoric against ‘radical Islamic terror,‘ and in particular, Isis.

In Delhi, religious ceremonies celebrating the republican nominee and his politics have included the application of the tilak, the red dot symbolic of the spiritual third eye in Hinduism, to Trump’s forehead in photographs. …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is revered in a similar way. … Both leaders have also been accused of perpetuating a worldview that problematises Islam…

One supporter at a rally in Delhi was recorded as saying ‘The Obama administration emboldened Pakistan to trespass into Indian territory. The threat of Isis is also looming over India. We need support from an ally like the USA.’

hat-tip Stephen Neil