In 2017, the Jaipur Lit Fest hosted two RSS leaders for a special conversation. @DalrympleWill defended the decision against all objections (including mine).

He’s consistently platformed conservative & far-right speakers, while disagreeing with their beliefs (1/4)

But a few days ago, with zero evidence of his role in the @BloomsburyIndia decision, right-wing media figures declared Dalrymple an enemy in something called “The War”, slandered him as a Jihadist, and physically threatened his home in Delhi. (2/4) https://mobile.twitter.com/BasuAshis/status/1298162230513598466?s=08

(3/4) An IAS officer openly called for his books to be burned - and for people to share videos of the book-burnings. This is where we've come.

None of the right-wing figures whom @JaipurLitFest hosted in style spoke up in Dalrymple's defence that night.

(4/4) A lesson here for Indian liberals who want to play nice with soft fascists, and offer them legitimacy.
This movement will not spare you for your attempted fairness. It will not consider your evidence. It only cares about your value as an “enemy" when it needs the next one.