The authentic leader in the neoliberal times-Development, identity dominance and the politics of “doing” in India

Abstract

What is the future of right-wing politics in India? Is India as a nation laden in the cultural foundation of conservatism and purity or it is a diversity moulded through the power of rightwing into a singular cultural system? The recent crises of right-wing politics in India founded in the new politics of social change where the historical oppression of diverse groups based on social class, religion, gender and caste has been politicized with new meaning under the garb of 'doing' development, cultural revivalism and the discourses of neoliberalism. Present research attempt to understand how the social identity of an authentic leader is shaped by the global neoliberal values and in what way the preference of authentic leaders by the group is moderated by the social class mobility and change. Also, some of the systematic attacks on the freedom of universities gave rise to students' politics and movements with new vocabularies of resistance and leadership. It is need of the time to understand the leaders conscious 'doing' and conscious 'not doing', constructing the meaning of a nation in a different way or limiting it.