BJP win landslide in India

[Valmy]

I thought they had the largest Muslim population?

I think that is Indonesia.

[Admiral Yi]

I believe Indonesia has the largest Muslim-majority population, but not necessarily the largest Muslim population.

[Sheilbh]

That doesn't seem likely. In fact, this quick link disagrees.

http://www.pewforum.org/2014/04/04/global-religious-diversity/

I'm not sure about that. France is more religiously diverse than the US because they've got more Catholic Christian apostates?

I thought the knock on Modi was he didn't speak out against the violence, not that he incited it.

Two of the groups he was closely associated with (RSS and VHP) helped organise the violence and were apparently planning it in advance and the US raised concerns about changes he made to Gujurat's education. There's been (sworn) allegations that he told the police to let the Hindus vent their anger and two of his ministers were convicted (and pardoned) of that too.

Incite may be the wrong word but his involvement goes beyond not speaking out - he did condemn it.

The British High Commission certainly thought there was an element of state planning and I think the US State Department also found elements of state involvement which is why Modi was refused a US visa. Presumably that'll change.

[Gups]

Very confliceted about this.

ON the one hand I don't think there's much doubt that Modi is partially culpable for the Gujarati pogroms and if I were a Muslim in India, I'd be concerned.

On the other hand, he has shown himself capable of running a state very competently; the corrupt, weak, lazy Congress deserved to lose and never to be given power again; an asbolute majority means that there is a chance that the roadblocks to reform created by regiosnal and caste-based parties may at last be overcome.

India desperately needs radical change. It was going backwards under Congress. It has a chance with Modi - let's see what the price will be 

[citizen k]

I think the US State Department also found elements of state involvement which is why Modi was refused a US visa. Presumably that'll change.

It has.

[Ancient Demon]

It's morning in India.

[dps]

Well it is both at the same time.  On one hand 80% of the population are Hindus...on the other there are hundreds of millions who are not Hindus.

There are other ways to look at it, too.  By the methods that report used, the US isn't particularly diverse religiously, but if you look at the number of different groups within a country, I doubt that there are any countries more diverse.  And the scaling by population thing works with us, too--we are, after all, the 3rd most populous country in the world.  For example, that 0.6% Hindu figure in the report still gives the US almost 2 million Hindus.

[Syt]

You guys are delusional, this is a wonderful sign.

It does the job.

Thanks, Dr. Rumack!

[Phillip V]

What is Modi's record on women advancement? I only read references to economy and religion.