Hindu nationalism marches ahead in India's general elections

In this Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 photo, Hindu hardliners, one holding a sword, chant slogans against Muslim communities during a rally demanding a Hindu temple be built on a site in northern India where hardliners in 1992 had attacked and demolished a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh. Riots had left about 2,000 people dead. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 photo, Hindus gather for a spiritual cleansing dip at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

As she patrols for cow smugglers, the Hindu holy woman rides in a white SUV with a window sticker displaying a cow framed by swords and rifles. The words on the logo say, "The cow is the mother of the world."

Kamal leads a vigilante force of thousands, mostly young Hindu men. They emerged after several Indian states banned the slaughter of cows, which are sacred to Hindus. Mobs have lynched three dozen Muslims, who traditionally run meat shops and slaughterhouses.

As India heads toward elections beginning this week, taking up arms for "mother cow" is part of a broader campaign to impose Hindu religious values across a multicultural country. As with similar movements across the world, Hindu nationalism, once fringe, has taken a central place in India's politics.