While India is the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter,115 there is a significant co-optation of the climate agenda by the ruling BJP, where the government’s ‘sustainability’ propaganda is contradicted by ongoing attacks on climate activists – India recorded the highest number of violent attacks against climate activists in 2022116 – and mass displacement of Adivasi (Indigenous) communities.117 THE RISE OF HINDUTVA POLITICS OVER THE PAST DECADE HAS CREATED FERTILE GROUND FOR ECOFASCIST IDEAS TO FLOURISH. MODI GOVERNMENT’S MOVES TO WEAKEN ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS, COUPLED WITH ITS BROADER NATIONALIST AGENDA, EXEMPLIFY HOW ECOFASCISM CAN MASQUERADE AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN WHILE ADVANCING DEEPLY EXCLUSIONARY AND OPPRESSIVE POLICIES. The rise of Hindutva politics over the past decade has created fertile ground for ecofascist ideas to flourish. Modi government’s moves to weaken environmental safeguards, coupled with its broader nationalist agenda, exemplify how ecofascism can masquerade as environmental concern while advancing deeply exclusionary and oppressive policies.118 Prime Minister Modi’s global reputation as a ‘green leader’ continues to rise, with a consistent ‘greenwashing’ agenda put forward by the Hindu nationalist government. For example, India hosted G20 in 2023, in the illegally annexed Kashmir,119 where the topics of discussion were climate change and tourism, and delegates discussed ‘ecotourism’ in the world’s most militarized region.120 This is not the first time that the Indian government has used a pretense to expand its annexation project in Kashmir. In August 2019, India deployed tens of thousands of troops to Kashmir, enforced a communication blackout, and severed transport links truthout.org/articles/ecofascism-is-a-rising-threat-we-should-take-modis-ascendance-as-a-warning/ 115 https://www.statista.com/topics/8881/emissions-in-india/#topicOverview 116 Hicks, R. (2023). Environmental activists under attack: India records highest incidences in Asia. Eco-Business. https://www.eco-business.com/news/environmental-activists-under-attack-india-records-highest-incidences-in-asia/ 117 Kanji, A. (2023). Ecofascism Is a Rising Threat. We Should Take Modi’s Ascendance as a Warning. Truth Out. https://truthout.org/articles/ecofascism-is-a-rising-threat-we-should-take-modis-ascendance-as-a-warning/ 118 The Wire Science. (2022). “What Is Ecofascism?” The Wire Science, 27 August. https://science.thewire.in/politics/ government/what-is-ecofascism/ 119 International Commission of Jurists. 2019. India: Ending autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir fans flames of existing human rights crisis. International Commission of Jurists. https://www.icj.org/india-ending-autonomy-of-jammu-and-kashmirfans-flames-of-existing-human-rights-crisis/ 120 Hussain, A. (2023). G20 delegates begin meeting in disputed Kashmir, with the region’s intense security largely out of view. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/g20-kashmir-india-pakistan-srinagar-1f47b6edd85e21bddb1949dd87cfee4f 39