Liberalism is an English tradition

What do we mean by "liberal" here

We live in a world of liberal democracies. You want to undo that?

We are all "Liberals" now. Within the confines of a "Liberal" world, we have :conservatives: and "liberals"

Usually when a right winger uses the term "liberal", I'd agree with you in a western context

But in the Indian context, it is more problematic. Because Hindu-Right has never fully embraced Liberal democracy intellectually

So when "liberal" is used, I don't know which one is it

I'd sort of agree on that for much of H-Right's history...

Am sure Vajapayee, Advani, DDU, Shyama Mukherjee were all Pro-liberal democracy

(Contd..)

Last 5-10 years or so, I see new strands on the internet...

A lot of talk of Dharmika polity as an alternative to "liberal democracy"

I am not against it, because I don't understand what it is..

Not fully

So things like - 

"Free and fair elections", "one person one vote", "equal treatment before law"

Are these consistent with Dharmika principles?

I don't think it can be easily reconciled...that's where it gets problematic

Fair...

But notice one thing - how often "Dharma" is invoked in political contexts in our times

I am rather old fashioned - back in 50s/60s, when ppl used Dharma in ordinary discourse, they largely meant "religion"

E.g. Woh Dharmic kism ke aadmi hai (he is a religious sort)

That's how I always related to the term Dharma...

"Dharmic" meant "being religious"

That's how average Indians use it.

But on twitter it is used differently. To invoke a world view that hopes to rival liberal democracy

And if H-Right's end-game is to undo liberal democracy, sever ties with all those "foreign" political ideas, and build an indigenous political framework based on Kautilya, Manu and others, I am not against that

Except that I dont have a clue how that framework will look and feel

@shrikanth_krish

What exactly is liberal about liberal democracy, due process, votes, equality before law, predate liberalism

I understand that, due process etc predate Hobbes and Locke

But rule by consent is also a traditionalist anglo saxon view predating liberalism

Conventionally that is not regarded as liberalism which starts with Hobbes and Locke with individual as frame of reference

https://twitter.com/doubtinggaurav/status/1311176474636898304?s=19

Nope...

We are talking of a different type of liberalism here...

"L"iberalism not progressive politics.

It has its genesis with Machiavelli and Hobbes, with the 1688 revolution being an early milestone

Am talking of the intellectual justification of "rule by consent" as opposed to divine right monarchy

Liberalism's origins are in ancient Anglo Saxon kingdoms..

I don't see Liberalism as a radical innovation. But as an English tradition

Intellectually the formulation happens with Hobbes and Locke

But roots lie much before. Otherwise you won't see Magna Carta being celebrated as much

@shrikanth_krish