The India That Does Not Shine

Abstract

The 140 million Muslims in India receive very little media attention. The resulting lack of knowledge has assisted Hindu nationalists in cultivating stereotypical depictions, but has hindered policies aimed at the incorporation of Muslims into Indian society. This article analyzes a recent government report about Muslims in India and shows that the oftcommented upon introversion of Muslims is not an innate propensity of Muslims, but a reaction to decades of exclusion from broader social life.