Watch | The Cow Belt Has Hijacked the Future of India and Is the Curse of Our Politics: Javed Gaya

Has the 'cow belt' hijacked the future of India? Is its influence the curse of Indian politics? Is India in danger of being consumed by its past? And does the baleful influence of Uttar Pradesh dominate Indian politics?

In his recent book Heartland Rising: The Making of Majoritarian India, author and lawyer Javed Gaya suggests the answer is yes.

In this interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Gaya explains his reasoning for thinking so.

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