ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to understand what Alevis hope to gain by underplaying their minority status, when in fact, other religious minorities, such as Muslims in India, have claimed just the opposite: a continued recognition as minorities in predominantly Hindu India. It highlights the contrasting politico-cultural context and provides a brief account of the dilemma specific to Indian Muslims, along with the contemporary challenges they face from the Hindu Right. The chapter discusses a brief historical account of the emergence of Alevi subjecthood. It explains the impact of party politics in contemporary Turkey in order to highlight the main contours of the 'Alevi Opening'. The chapter also explains various strands and asks about the extent to which the Indian case might help illuminate the Alevi one. It also provides a flavor of the contemporary struggles faced by the Alevi community in Turkey.
