India (Rinnarverse)

In the Rinnarverse, **India** is governed by the **Ramrajya Bharat**, a theocratic republic where Hinduism is the state religion. It is also a member of the Thrisveld League, an alliance of free nations that tried to stop the domination of the Four Powers, the MegaCorps, and the Earth Union.

## History

During the 2060's, a great economic crash shook the world, plunging many nations into chaos. India was not spared from the global turmoil, as warlords attempted to impose their authorities with force and cruelty. Foreign leaders and groups also set up their own enclaves, seeking to make the divided India into their new headquarters for their schemes.

In the bloodshed, one leader rose with his supporters, attracting many desperate people who feared for their lives. That leader won over the north, and then the south, as his benevolent policies reduced the massacres and tortures that plagued the land.

His subjects found out that much of his beliefs, which blended defending tradition with progress to propel the people forward, were influenced by the Hindu scriptures that he read since childhood. As a devotee of Shiva and Parvati, he intended his Hindu Rashtra to avoid the many mistakes of its predecessors, from foreign tyrants who destroyed the people to corrupt leaders and violent mobs of all creeds and ideologies, including his own.

Although he was plagued by threats from the warlords abroad, angry officials who sought a more violent punishment to India's enemies, and occasional threats by China and a combined Pakistan-Arabia regime beyond, the reborn India (renamed Bharat) endured. He cared more about rebuilding India than punishing his enemies, even though he was merciless to various militants who attacked his people and threatened the Hindu faith.

Nonetheless, although his nation's state religion was Hinduism (or because of it), he forgave the millions of Indians who were accused of the sins of their ancestors. The First President did not want to repeat the deadly errors of his ancestors, so he offered those denizens a chance to rebuild India and be forgiven. He allowed them to continue their faiths, but forbade any proselytism except from Hindu and other related beliefs, which he considered as "restorations".

Those Indians, known as "Bramiki" ("Abrahamists", "monotheists"), eagerly took the chance. Even the Kashmiris of the north, hated by the first president's supporters for the insurgency's attempted extermination of the Hindu Pandits, turned to the Ramrajya to avoid being killed or tortured by the warlords. But even as some towns risked the hatred of their western neighbours for protecting local Hindus, they were still shunned for the expulsion and murders of the Pandits centuries ago. The majority of Indians, including the Hindus, and the minority Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and other indigenous faiths, were known as Dharmiki. Although thousands of Bramiki left India, many more chose to stay: especially because the First President's followers subdued any mobs that tried to kill them. Some of those mobs were also Bramiki mobs that sought to create their own theocracies, and they were also swiftly defeated.

Society in the new Bharat was somewhat like the pre-collapse society, but it used Sanskrit more often. People of all walks of life had to learn to get used to daily prayers in state media (though they can choose to ignore them or turn their TVs and radios off without any threat), and they also had to learn to respect the Hindu faith. These, along with the many government programmes that improved the impoverished and ruined survivors of the warlords, caused the Dharmics and the Bramiki to become more willing to work together, although it also led to a decline in interfaith marriages out of fear of possible threats.

The early economy of this India was enrichened by wealth from asteroid mines, which was used in a massive campaign of reconstruction. Much of the structures and facilities built were designed in different, localised architectural styles that focused on promoting traditional cultures and making it sustainable for their denizens' physical and mental health and the environment.

Although only Götaland was the first nation to open diplomatic ties with the Hindu-aligned government, the other members of the Thrisveld gradually invited India to join its league and establish diplomatic relations with them as its fourth member. They were glad that this Indian government ended poverty, illiteracy, and sectarian violence, mostly because of its programmes and transparency.

The success of India's rebirth as a devoted Hindu state inspired neopagan movements around the world to become more active, but it also led to clashes between liberal and racist pagan groups, and occasional attacks by militants. Twenty years after Bharat slowly rebuilt, hundreds of pagans from all over Europe migrated to India, and they were welcomed. However, attacks by fascist and occasional communist groups caused the people to become more suspicious of those newcomers.

On the forty-fifth year of the Hindu Rashtra, a growing number of supporters led to reforms that led a little better treatment for Bramiki citizens. It was from a campaign called "Bramiki Forgiveness", which led to some Bramiki people being mentioned in contributions, although they always remained second place next to their Hindu leaders. There were several fights that broke out due to attempts to rehabilitate the Bramiki, which are still seen as traitors. Some members of the Ramrajya sought to rehabilitate the Kashmiris, as they noticed that they were able to abandon their hatred of Hinduism and coexist with Hindus (whether seeking peace or out of fear of the law). By then, the Hindu Pandits formed half of all people in Kashmir as the government aided the protected their restoration of their homes and cities. There were some Kashmiris who risked attacks by isolated fortress-towns for daring to protect local Hindus and apologise to them, but eventually they thrived.

## Society

The national doctrine of the Ramrajya is Bharata Vishvaguru, which means "India, Teacher of the World". It focuses more on devotion, helping other people, and improving society - hence the infrastructure programmes that led to better education, healthcare, transport, and living and financial conditions. This national doctrine was influenced by a mixture of Hindu scriptures and American social justice programmes, although the Ussians disapproved about the Indians' defeat of their favoured warlords.

Although it may seem weak to its enemies because of its refusal to become cruel, its followers do not hesitate to defend themselves or stop cruelty and corruption. Whether it was foreign invaders or local fanatics who sought to punish the world and several groups that were "guilty of their ancestors' sins", the followers of Vishvaguruism are many, and they stopped those threats from destroying their nation again.

As much as they embrace the past and celebrate the future, the people of India have a great fear of repeating the sins of historical tyrants. They do not want to go back to the 21st century, the tyrannies of the Arabs, the Ghaznavids, the Mughals, the British, and the corporations, and they do not want to see the ruin of the civil war to return.

One offence that troubled the President and his followers was "minority appeasement", which consisted of several laws that supposedly made it unfair for local Hindus while favouring people from other religions, especially missionaries and intellectuals. Although the Ramrajya ensured liberty for all citizens of its realm, even to Bramiki people, its members often tried to declare that they are "not appeasing minorities". One way to do that is a law that requires that every Hindu citizen in the Ramrajya must never use Western, Arab, or Chinese names, to make sure that they do not seem suspicious.

So instead of "unity" (which suggests mixing with ancestral enemies), they say "cooperation", and they expect minorities to prove themselves that they are not a threat. This was not only due to the fear of being attacked by mobs, but also an obsession with avoiding historical sins. It led to two disappointing results: people from those minorities being forced to become more Indianised, and many people from those groups sometimes feeling ashamed and miserable that they are treated with suspicion in some towns. Many people who resisted the changes were forced to leave India, such as missionaries, activists, celebrities, and even members of the National Reunification Party.

Many people in the Ramrajya are very proud of their nation. They may accept any criticism of people and poor practices, but they will never tolerate any criticism or insult against the nation or the Hindu faith. Some of them also regard any promotion of "suspicious people", such as Bramiki loyalists, as treason, seeking to punish the enemies of their ancestors. It also led to a fervent dislike, if not hatred, of foreign beliefs, such as liberalism, secularism, leftism, Americanism, and fascism: they preferred to change and reform by their own terms, without regard for whatever the Bramiki, the West, or Arabia feared.

Like their Western, Arabian, Russian, and Chinese rivals, many of them are rather paranoid, worrying that the West (the most powerful civilisation on Earth) will try to subvert them. According to their records, the West will use pop culture and regime change to stop other powerful countries, including India, from becoming more powerful than the West, and in the process subverting its world order and dominance by influencing more countries. That, along with anger against historical atrocities, could be why they are proud and defiant, to show that they will resist the West and influence others into their system, which is focused on nationalism, rejection of Western and Arabian culture, and promotion of classical art. On the other hand, even though they proudly wish for a greater India, they refuse any attempts to create a world empire, preferring to create an "eternal civilisation" that withstands its many envious enemies and never hurts India or its people ever again.

While the founder wanted to rebuild the infrastructure of India, many people supported building more temples instead of hospitals and schools. Some reformists then partially converted those temples into more schools and hospitals.

In the old India, many people spent a lot of time online in Internet fights. Because it is nowadays seen as a waste, the Ramrajya also had lessons about how to behave on the Internet like those in America, leading to a more orderly and peaceful Internet. The poor, rude, and frivolous behaviour of many online users in the past centuries or decades is seen as the result of poor education, so education has become an important part of Ramrajya society. However, people from the Ramrajya can sometimes be seen as "cold" because of their lack of immaturity, enforced by la Americans and people from the 21st century did not like them because they are seen as "too nice" or "too prudish".

Bollywood, which was already ruined by the civil war, was demolished and replaced with a studio that produces government films, morality films, and very elaborate adaptations of Hindu epics. The ruins of Bollywood were replaced with a university and a temple to Sarasvati.

## Religion

Answering the widespread calls to make India a Hindu state, the founders of the Ramrajya made Hinduism the state religion. Although there is a sort of organisation that regulates the faith, it is mostly run by an alliance of activist groups, rather than the government itself. This is known as the Dharmic League, among the groups that supported the first president in reunifying India after the civil war. Although the Dharmic League may seem to be a clergy, it is actually very democratic, as it relies on the decisions of the Hindu community's members.

Education is seen as a valuable part of Vishvaguruism, because the supporters of the Ramrajya regard poor education as the cause of destructive behaviour, ranging from greed to discrimination, addiction, vulgarity (such as frivolous behaviour on the Internet), violence, and murder. As a result, Ramrajya people are more neat and orderly. They do have fun and enjoy humour, but they became less vulgar and more witty.

In all schools in the Ramrajya, the Hindu scriptures are taught to all students, at least the basic contents, values, and teachings as "morality class". Even non-Hindus are required to attend the classes, although they do not need to join in the prayers or convert.

One of their lessons teaches about the values of the Jati or Varna, four categories of social roles. In spite of this, it is seen as more of a "talent" than a strict social role, because people in the Ramrajya can freely change their jobs any time they wish. However, if anyone, even a Brahmin, wishes to join the clergy, they must seek the approval of both their own local community and the Dharmic League. Casteism is also prohibited in the Ramrajya's society, as the Dharmic League wanted everyone to be more fair. This led to attacks by upper-class militants during the early years of the Ramrajya.

It is technically legal for people to change their personal faith, but if the person is a Hindu, they must seek the approval of the Dharmic League's offices before they would be permitted to change their religion or become atheist. Also, Hindu citizens are forbidden from marrying Bramiki people, due to the past history of interfaith marriages being associated with foreign enemies. A later reform allowed Hindus to marry atheists.

To avoid the mistakes of the previous secularist government, which was accused of appeasing minorities who would betray the country, certain regulations were used:

* The government is not allowed to own any Hindu temple. All temples must be run by any one of the Dharmic League's members.
* Shukla Yajurveda 22:22, a prayer to bless a country with righteous people, is the national anthem. Although it was set to music for marching bands and orchestras (which made it sound more grand and majestic), it is usually sung without any instruments as a prayer.
* Missionaries of non-Dharmic faiths are banned. However, the government and the Dharmic League favour Hindu missionaries and send them to other countries.
* On some days of the year, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
* "Godmen" are prohibited. There are only gurus that are approved by the Dharmic League.
* The Mughals are never to be promoted, only condemned as tyrants and destroyers of Hinduism.
* On the other hand, it is completely acceptable to criticise and denounce Bramiki faiths and Western atheism, which are sometimes regarded as "hostile faiths" by the government.
* The contributions of Bramiki people are downplayed, because doing so would promote their religions at the expense of Hinduism. This is usually exempted if the community still treats them as a valuable part, although they might be required to answer which value in Hinduism did they represent by their actions.
* Beef is banned in most states of the Ramrajya, except in the northeast where indigenous people live. Anyone selling beef would not be killed, but jailed for at least three years. In two states, cow-killers would be sentenced to forty years in prison!
* In states where Hindu people are being threatened with violence from militants, a separate state is carved out and fortified to protect them. This was especially controversial in West Bengal and Kashmir, although it led to the restoration and survival of Hinduism.
* The Gayatri Mantra is used every morning and evening in official broadcasts and radio shows.
* Instead of leather, synthetic cloth is used. Leather and some animal products were being phased out in stages in favour of synthetic products.
* Every child must respect their parents without question, no matter how badly-behaved, because they must always honour their great sacrifices. They can still lodge a police report if the parents are abusive, but constantly talking bad about them will make the Dharmic League blacklist the perpetrator until they would publicly apologise to their parents in a ceremony.

The resulting society angered the Americans and the Arabic-aligned realms, because of its stance against Abrahamic religions and Westernisation. However, it earned them other supporters: usually neopagans and some nationalists, who celebrated India as an example of a real independent society and a role model.

This led to India having Götaland (an Asatru monarchy in southern Sweden) and the Vetarbroitar (Norse clones) as its greatest allies and defenders. In fact, some of the views of the Vetarbroitar were shaped by the Ramrajya's laws, which are seen as a role model to build a new society free from the sins of Earthling history.

The religious laws of the Ramrajya were not just based on the edicts of the Dharmic League, but also on the first president's usage of Ussian and Malaysian laws, to combine fairness for all citizens with upholding and preserving (or enforcing) the national religion. While it led to condemnation from the United States, Malaysia only reestablished relations with India twenty years after the founding, albeit with protests from angry locals over India's condemnation of Abrahamic faiths.

### Divisions of faiths

There are three religious categories in the Ramrajya: Dharmiki, Bramiki, and Advaitavi. The three categories were formed by the Dharmic League due to suspicions against the Muslim and American militants in their country during the civil war, and proposals to keep the Bramiki minorities under control. Although all three are supposed to have equal rights by law, the Dharmiki enjoy the most privileges in society.

#### Dharmiki

The Dharmiki are the majority of the Ramrajya's people. They consist of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and regional faiths like Ayyavazhi, Sanamahis, and adherents of the Kirati Mundhum and Meitei religions.

One important law in the Ramrajya is "you must respect Hindu sentiments at all times, no exceptions". To the leaders and the majority who supports the Ramrajya, they believe that this secures a place for their people and religion in a very hostile world: if other peoples will force others to obey their faiths, perhaps the Hindu Indians could do the same, but without the brutality of their enemies. In the Ramrajya, the motherland and the Dharma - not the race, not the religious dogma, and not even the leaders - is first and foremost in everything: that meant no condemnation, but also no blind faith or fanatical tyranny, but burning loyalty and support for fellow Hindus and residents.

The Ramrajya's leaders and supporters had learned from many atrocities and wrongdoings throughout history - whether by foreign tyrants and the enemies of their ancestors, or from sinners in their own fold. To prevent their people from falling into the same errors as their foes, the Ramrajya has a high value on education. As a result, people in the Ramrajya tend to be less reckless and more social. For instance, instead of quarrelling and using rude behaviour on the Internet (denounced as an "American" error), Indians are more down-to-earth and are quite helpful. They also used the brutality of their enemies to warn citizens how not to behave.

The leaders taught that everyone should practice the doctrines of the Hindu scriptures, not to blindly obey them, but to help others. Because of their greater devotion to Hinduism (rather than fanaticism, but benevolence) led to India becoming a less violent society (though they are still watchful and ready to fight when in danger). To apply the principles of the holy Dharma in force, the government also punishes extremists within its own ranks - for example, a party member who called for the extermination of Bramiki and total war to kill their countries was jailed and suspended, and his supporters were also suppressed for attacking the police and assaulting a Bramiki neighbourhood. Still, many Bramiki feel "left out" because they were forced to abandon their proud identities in favour of total submission to the motherland and Dharma.

Conversion to Hinduism is publicly celebrated, whether in India or elsewhere, complete with a news report. It is considered "returning to the true faith".

Other Buddhists, such as Khmer, Chinese (if they are against the Beijing government), Japanese, Thai, and Burmese are welcome in India.

The European neopagans, such as of the Asatru (Norse), Rodnovery (Slavic), Greek, Roman, and Celtic faiths are also welcomed as Bramiki because of their cultures' distant relation from Vedic culture. In fact, their closest ally on Earth is the Kingdom of Götaland, an Asatru nation.

#### Bramiki

Bramiki people (from "Abrahamist") consist of most Christians, all Muslims, and Western-style atheists. Technically, any atheist who behaves and thinks like a Westerner is considered a Bramiki, while atheistic Hindus (who believe in no god, but a sort of philosophy) are considered Dharmikis.

Because of their religions' past attacks on India, ranging from British rule, to Arab and Mughal persecutions, and American militants; the Bramiki are at the bottom of the three tiers. Although they are treated fairly for the most part, and they are allowed to practice their faiths freely, Ramrajya society looks down on them as "potential traitors" who had to be supervised more often. This led to some restrictions, such as prohibitions from insulting the Hindu gods, a ban on missionaries, and isolation from foreign groups.

Ramrajya society forces the Bramiki to constantly prove themselves as "trustworthy", so many Bramiki people had to be more Indianised. In official media, Christianity, Islam, and Western beliefs (usually American-style ideologies, fascism, and communism) are viewed poorly, making their believers more ashamed of themselves. This led to many members of karsevak teams (volunteers for government organisations) being Bramiki, as many of them want to shed away the poor image of themselves and their communities from the public. This was known as the "Humbling", when the Bramiki were forced to apologise for the atrocities of their ancestors against the Hindu Dharma. Those who refused to apologise, or who followed groups that were considered "hostile" to Hinduism or the motherland, were exiled.

Even then, Ramrajya society tends to downplay or discourage any accomplishment or loyalty by Bramiki people, as its rulers regard this as "minority appeasement". Although they do enjoy some freedoms and a better standard of living due to improved education and social services, some of them felt miserable because of how their beliefs are depicted in media. They are quite comfortable for the most part, but they sometimes wanted better representation and less suspicion from society: in fact, they did not need to worry about mobs or random people beating them up as extremists who targeted Bramiki were given legal punishments, just like Bramiki who hate Hinduism. However, they are distrusted out of a widespread worry that they might infiltrate society.

Unlike the Old India before the civil war, the Bramiki were less proud and defiant: either because they realised that they needed to work together with the forgiving Hindu majority to survive into a better future, or because there was no other way than to drop their hatred of Hinduism, or leave India. There were still some defiant pockets, such as in Delhi (atheists), northeastern India (Christians), and parts of West Bengal and northern Kashmir (Muslims). In Delhi, the atheists formed their own community during the civil war to avoid being killed by warlords, and various leftists who chose to stay were among their members. The northeastern Christians were still warriors, even as they gradually made peace with the Ramrajya to avoid total elimination.

The Kashmiris were a difficult issue for the Ramrajya, seen and hated as the continuation of the dreaded Indian administration. Out of fear of the warlords' brutality, many Kashmiris supported the Ramrajya in spite of its Hindu faith, until the southerners were aided by the Ramrajya to expel the warlords out of Kashmir: the brutality of the warlords changed them and forced them to abandon their hatred of Hinduism. Risking retaliation from embittered neighbours, some Kashmiris made apologies for the murders of the Kashmiri Pandits, paying compensations for the losses and allowing them to live in separate towns for the time being. Although some parts of Kashmir remained isolated out of anger against what they perceived as "pagan domination", the rest of Kashmir was able to emerge from poverty and extremism as its people had no other choice but to work with and accept Hindus.

Several decades after the founding, the Bramikis were given somewhat better treatment. Some Bramiki people were recognised for their contributions, they were being trusted in some towns, but they are still treated as second-place, and they were often reminded to prove themselves as reliable. Also, the laws of the Ramrajya forbid a Bramiki from becoming president of India.

In some provinces and districts, Bramikis are not allowed to enter into Hindu temples, especially in areas inhabited by very extreme nationalists. The reasons for the ban include possible desecration by Bramikis (such as destroying idols and vandalism), similar bans in neighbouring Pakistan against non-Muslims for entering mosques, and a condition to Bramikis to allow non-believers to pray in churches and mosques. In a few temples, this ban has been extended to all non-Hindus, even including Dharmikis.

The treatment of the Bramiki - improved by attempts to practice a more tolerant form of Hinduism by the scriptures, but also worsened by hatred of historical atrocities - made other powers of the world condemn the Ramrajya. The United States, its allies, and the Muslim states of the west hated the Ramrajya for constantly condemning the minorities for the brutality of historical tyrants and the Kashmiris becoming less radical out of fear of further violence.

#### Advaitavi

The Advaitavi people are various religions that are technically "Bramiki", because they are monotheist or because they are related to the Abrahamic religions, but are considered more trustworthy due to their closer Indianisation. They consisted of Parsis and Zoroastrians, St. Thomas Christians (sometimes known by law as Thomasis), and Jews. Yazidis are also counted as Advaitavis because they are pitied.

## Legacy

While the Ramrajya survives into the 46th century after several more upheavals, disasters, fanatics, regime changes, and the Farsider bombing of Earth, it inspired the Vetarbroitar to create a fanatical, cold society bent on justice and retribution. At first, the Ramrajya supported the Vetarbroitar as another brother who sought justice and the ways of the Gods, eventually even the Ramrajya condemned the brutality of their Galactic Norse friends and their hatred of Earth.

Perhaps the Ramrajya was motivated to conduct a series of reforms to reconcile with the hated Bramiki, seeking to integrate them further as loyal subjects under the Dharma, after seeing the Vetarbroitar become more fanatical and hateful towards Earthlings, including themselves. The Ramrajya never lost its pride and the Hindu faith that kept it alive through the ages, but it continues to learn the painful lessons of history to build a better nation.

In a way, India managed to save another country from repeating the doom of Earth: a splinter group of the Dharmic League, the same coalition that governed the Hindu religion of India, also stopped the Rinnarit Republic from launching a ruinous war against Earth.

## Trivia

* This version of India in the Rinnarverse was originally inspired by Indian nationalists on the Internet, with parts of its society influenced by Malaysian society (where the country continues to advance, while it preserves its traditional culture and religion, without much of the discrimination) and Hindu scriptures.
* In the original Rinnarverse version of India, it devolved into a dystopia like the rest of the world, as its people were caught up by the global escalation and indoctrination into war. It was meant to be an "opposite" to the supposed attacks on Hinduism by Bollywood, mass media in India, and violent attacks by Abrahamist extremists and insults by Marxist militants as mentioned by online Indian nationalists. Here, the author tried to fit this India into the 2021 Rinnarverse timeline by making it more benevolent, removing various controversial parts.
	+ The "benevolence" (instead of brutal violence and total extermination as advocated by some online users) was influenced by the Hindu scriptures that the author read online. It was meant to help India avoid becoming as cruel as its enemies.
* In the original Rinnarverse India was known as Akhand Bharat. Here, this India is also sometimes known as Akhand Bharat, which means "undivided India". Although it was unable to annex most of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other lands, the name also referred to the peoples of India being "undivided" in their cooperation.
* Ramrajya means "rule of Lord Rama", the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu. In India it means "righteous rule". The author intended this India in the Rinnarverse to be a sort of utopia in justice, but it is eventually tempted by the escalation of the world into dystopia.
	+ On the other hand, some Indians use the term "ravanalila" for "a collapse done from hubris": it meant that one's wickedness is repeating the ruin of Ravana, an arrogant demon king. "Ravanarajya" is also used in Ramrajyan historical records to describe Old India, the corrupt society that was plunged into civil war.