Are Taliban and Hindu Right-Wing Cut from the Same Cloth? Santosh and Praveen Debate

Santosh and Praveen, old pals with a knack for arguing, sit down over chai to hash out a question that’s been buzzing lately: Can you really compare the Taliban’s mindset to groups like the RSS and Bajrang Dal in India? They dive into the idea of exclusionary thought—where one identity trumps all else—and things get heated. Here’s their chat, unfiltered.

Santosh: Alright, Praveen, I’ve been thinking about this. People throw around comparisons between the Taliban and Hindu right-wing outfits like the RSS or Bajrang Dal—especially when tempers flare online. But is it fair? I mean, both seem obsessed with one identity—Islam for the Taliban, Hindu-ness for these guys. That’s exclusionary, right? Pushing everyone else to the margins?

Praveen: Fair point, Santosh, but let’s not rush it. Sure, they’ve got that “our way or the highway” vibe. The Taliban’s running Afghanistan like it’s 1400 AD—Sharia or bust. Girls can’t study past sixth grade, women can’t work, and minorities like Hazaras get butchered. UN says 1,600 civilian deaths in 2022 alone. It’s a theocracy on steroids, excluding anyone who doesn’t fit their Islamic mold.

Santosh: Exactly! And over here, the RSS dreams of a “Hindu Rashtra”—India for Hindus first. Their centenary’s this year, 7 million members strong, pushing Hindutva everywhere. Then you’ve got Bajrang Dal, their rowdy cousins, beating up folks over cows or “love jihad.” Factchecker.in counted 200+ attacks since 2014—50 dead. That’s exclusionary too—Muslims, Christians, anyone not “Hindu enough” gets the short end.

Praveen: Hold up, Santosh. The vibe’s similar, but the scale’s off. Taliban’s got a country—they enforce exclusion with guns and whips. Floggings in stadiums, stonings—Human Rights Watch says it’s routine in 2024. Bajrang Dal might thrash someone in an alley, but they’re not running India. RSS influences the BJP—think Article 370 or CAA—but it’s still a democracy, not a saffron Taliban. You can’t equate a lynch mob to a regime.

Santosh: True, they don’t govern, but the mindset’s what bugs me. RSS’s Mohan Bhagwat bragged in 2023 they could rally 2 million volunteers in days—sounds paramilitary to me. And Bajrang Dal’s Christmas bust-ups in Assam last year? Screaming about “forced conversions”? That’s not just thuggery—it’s saying, “You don’t belong unless you’re us.” Taliban bans non-Islamic life; these guys pressure non-Hindu life. Same exclusionary root, different branches.

Praveen: I get the root, but branches matter. Taliban’s exclusion is absolute—Sharia overrides everything. No elections, no debate. RSS works inside democracy, pushing Hindutva through votes and rallies. They’ve got Muslim kids in their schools—30% more in UP from 2017-2020. Bajrang Dal’s violent, sure, but it’s not state policy. Taliban kills thousands; Bajrang Dal’s toll is hundreds. The thought’s kin, but the execution’s worlds apart.

Santosh: Fair, but it’s not just numbers—it’s intent. Both want a pure identity. Taliban’s chopping hands to enforce Islam; Bajrang Dal’s smashing skulls over cows to “protect” Hinduism. RSS’s Hindutva isn’t live-and-let-live—it’s “Hindu first,” minorities second. Remember 2002 Gujarat? Over 1,000 dead, mostly Muslims, and the Liberhan Commission pointed at Sangh Parivar’s role. That’s exclusion with blood on it.

Praveen: Gujarat’s a scar, no doubt—RSS’s shadow was there. But Taliban’s daily reality is bloodier—3,774 casualties from 2021-23, UN says. They’re not just reacting; they’re building a system to erase the “other.” RSS wants dominance, not erasure—Hindutva’s cultural, not scriptural like Sharia. Bajrang Dal’s goons don’t answer to a mullah; they’re freelancers in a messy democracy. The exclusion’s real, but one’s a sledgehammer, the other’s a chisel.

Santosh: Chisel still cuts deep, Praveen. Look at women—Taliban locks them up, no school, no jobs, burqas mandatory. RSS doesn’t do that—they’ve got a women’s wing, Rashtra Sevika Samiti. But Bajrang Dal’s “love jihad” obsession? Stalking interfaith couples, harassing women for choosing outside the fold? That’s exclusion lite—controlling who belongs through fear, not law.

Praveen: Lite’s right. Taliban’s women are prisoners—2023 decrees even banned parks. Bajrang Dal’s creepy, but it’s not systemic. RSS talks equality, even if their “Hindu first” vibe sidelines others. The thought’s parallel—ours is best, yours is suspect—but Taliban’s got the power to make it stick. Here, it’s pressure, not policy.

Santosh: Maybe that’s the crux—power. Both start with “my identity rules,” but Taliban’s got the keys to the kingdom, while RSS and Bajrang Dal are still knocking. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that exclusionary thought—Islamic or Hindu—builds walls. I grew up chasing fish in a gutter, ignoring lines, and it taught me boundaries should bend. These guys? They’d rather die than bend.

Praveen: Walls, yeah. Your fish story’s got soul—curiosity over cages. Taliban and Hindutva both cage the “other,” just with different locks. One’s a jail, one’s a fence. Fair to compare the thought? Sure. Fair to call them twins? Nah—context splits them. Blog that, Santosh, and let the readers fight it out.

Santosh: Deal. Let’s sip this chai and see what they say.