SAFFRON RAINBOW THE MODI GOVERNMENT USES ‘PINKWASHING’ – A GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA STRATEGY THAT CYNICALLY EXPLOITS LGBTQI+ RIGHTS TO PROJECT A PROGRESSIVE IMAGE WHILE CONCEALING ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS – BY EXPRESSING ALLEGED SUPPORT AND CONCERN FOR TRANS COMMUNITIES. In India, the Hindu supremacist BJP regime has made several moves to present themselves as an ‘ally’ of LGBTQI+ communities, in an attempt to boost its reputation. The Modi government uses ‘pinkwashing’ – a government propaganda strategy that cynically exploits LGBTQI+ rights to project a progressive image while concealing ongoing human rights violations – by expressing alleged support and concern for trans communities.82 The response of certain LGBTQI+ groups to the government’s revocation of Article 370, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, is one way to understand the BJP’s homonationalism. Following this decision, some queer organizations, like the Queer Hindu Alliance, supported the move by claiming it would bring “gay liberation” to Kashmir, due to the extension of the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling that decriminalized same-sex relations. However, Kashmiri queer activists denounced this as “pinkwashing,” pointing out that such a narrative overlooks the complex realities of living under occupation, where queer identities are intertwined with broader struggles against state violence.83 The BJP-promoted bill of 2019, promoted as protecting the rights of transgender persons, is just one example of how the ruling party and its allies attempt to distract or divert attention away from the ongoing abuse and discrimination faced by trans people in India, particularly those from marginalized communities.84 This legislation has in fact been criticized by trans activists and their allies since its introduction in 2016, and its passing in 2019, who claim that the legislation does not honor 82 Stand With Kashmir. Pinkwashing and Pride: The Case of Kashmir. https://standwithkashmir.org/pinkwashing-and-pride-kashmir/ 83 The Wire. (2020, February 18). Homonationalism in India: How the LGBTQIA+ Community Is Being Co-opted by the Right Wing. The Wire. https://thewire.in/lgbtqia/homonationalism-india-sedition 84 Mugloo, S. & Rafiq, S. (2023). ‘They thought I was a curse’: The struggles of India’s trans community. openDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/india-transgender-discrimination-health-gender-affirmation-surgery/ 32