5 days ago
How Alt-Right Movements Recast Hinduism’s Kaliyuga as Political Myth
Kaliyuga is a Hindu idea about a difficult and declining age.
Kavita Krishnan says some far-right groups in the United States and elsewhere have borrowed this idea.
They use phrases such as “Surf the Kali Yuga” on shirts, memes and social media.
These groups often describe modern democracy, equality and social change as signs of decay.
Some believe that chaos should be made worse so a powerful warrior can bring back order.
Italian fascist thinker Julius Evola helped give this idea a political meaning based on hierarchy and caste.
Online extremists have connected the figure Kalki with leaders such as Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler.
Joe Rogan also used Kaliyuga to describe what he called current political chaos.
Critics argue that this borrowing turns a religious concept into a story supporting white supremacy and authoritarian politics.
Kavita Krishnan’s book examines how global far-right movements use Kaliyuga imagery to criticize democracy, modernity and social equality.
White-supremacist groups have used slogans such as “Surf the Kali Yuga” on clothing, memes and online platforms.
The imagery draws heavily on Italian fascist philosopher Julius Evola’s interpretation of Hindu caste hierarchy and historical decline.
Online extremists portray the current era as corrupt and unstable, calling for acceleration, collapse and the restoration of social order.
Public figures including Joe Rogan and Richard Spencer have helped bring Kaliyuga-related ideas to wider audiences, while critics connect them to white supremacy and de-democratisation.
- Who
- Kavita Krishnan examines the ideas of global far-right activists, media figures and political ideologues, including Alexandr Dugin, Richard Spencer, Joe Rogan and Julius Evola.
- What
- Far-right movements have adopted Kaliyuga imagery and related ideas to portray democracy and modernity as corrupt while advocating hierarchy, conflict or political rupture.
- Where
- The phenomenon appears across the global far-right online ecosystem, including the United States, Europe and India; Dugin discussed it in Delhi in 2012.
- When
- The article cites examples from 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and November 2021.
- Why
- Kaliyuga offers these movements a narrative of civilisational decline, collapse and the eventual restoration of order or white supremacy.
Critical and democratic interpretation
Far-right and hierarchical interpretation
Meaning of Kaliyuga
Critical and democratic interpretation
Kaliyuga is analyzed as a religious concept that far-right movements have repurposed to criticize equality, democracy and social change.
Far-right and hierarchical interpretation
Far-right users present Kaliyuga as an explanation for modern disorder and as evidence that the existing social and political order should be overturned.
Social order
Critical and democratic interpretation
The article connects the concept’s political use with white supremacy, caste hierarchy, authoritarianism and de-democratisation.
Far-right and hierarchical interpretation
Ideologues influenced by Evola treat hierarchy, traditional authority and the restoration of order as alternatives to what they regard as modern Western decline.
Response to crisis
Critical and democratic interpretation
Researchers describe online “schizo-posting” as expressing alienation, nihilism and a desire for a dangerous millenarian solution.
Far-right and hierarchical interpretation
Extremist subcultures promote acceleration and “riding the wave” or “riding the tiger” of modernity until collapse creates a new age.
Key facts
- Book
- De-democratisation, a Global Story: Script, Actors and Enablers by Kavita Krishnan
- Core concept
- Kaliyuga is presented as a Hindu term for an epoch of social and sexual degeneration linked to the collapse of caste hierarchy.
- Far-right slogan
- “Surf the Kali Yuga” has appeared on merchandise associated with white-supremacist and alt-right audiences.
- Historical influence
- Julius Evola’s 1934 book Revolt Against the Modern World linked modernity and democracy with Kaliyuga.
- Online activity
- A Telegram group called the Kali Yuga Surfing Club opened in July 2019 and shared alt-right, anti-social-justice and Nazi-centric memes.
- Joe Rogan reference
- On November 16, 2021, Rogan described the current period as Kaliyuga on Tim Pool’s podcast.
- Political symbolism
- Research cited in the article says some white-supremacist discourse presents Kalki as representing the return of white dominance.
Quotes
Alexandr Dugin
Russian political philosopher and multipolarist ideologue
“the present order of things, of which the core could be described as human rights, anti-hierarchy, and political correctness”
scroll.in
“This is Kaliyuga, man, this is some weird shit that was predicted by the Bhagavad Gita.”
scroll.in
Sources
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