Hindu Nationalism Revisited Overview Being

Transcript:Hindu Nationalism Revisited Overview Being:
Hindu Nationalism Revisited Overview Being familiar with the information (and readings for) the slides on “Hindu Nationalism: An Overview” is critical Will start with HOW the many readings for today relate to lecture Will then discuss them in the context of set of themes about rise of Hindu nationalism in India Readings SAHGAL presents an overview of the rise of Hindu Nationalism highlighting some themes, particularly gender TWO articles by PANKAJ MISHRA trace both the HISTORICAL rise of Hindu Nationalism (focusing on the destruction of the BABRI mosque in Dec 1992) and its more contemporary manifestations with Modi’s victory in 2019 Finally, ASHRAF, points out how growing intolerance is harming not only Muslims but India itself, and its Hindu population THEMES in Hindu Nationalism HISTORY of Hindu nationalism Differences between Hinduism and Hindutva History: Colonialism, the RSS, HMS, Savarkar and the idea of TWO INDIAs FEAR of Muslims: No Hindtuva without ANTI MUSLIM agenda Recap: MARGINALIZATION of Hindu Nationalism under Nehru RECENT Rise of Hindu Nationalism (1980s to the present) Role of AYODHYA campaign Recap: Caste, rise of OBCs and Dalits Aggressive Hindu Nationalism under Narendra Modi Hindutva and Hinduism HINDUTVA quite different from the ideas and practice of Hinduism (Hindu dharma). No sect, deity, orthodoxy, or caste Product of colonial ideas (See Mishra, p. 191) that then inspired upper caste Hindu nationalists (Pandey references this too) In 1924, SAVARKAR distinguished HINDUTVA from Hinduism too RSS builds its ideology on HINDUTVA not HINDUISM, calls itself a cultural not a religious organization 1994 Supreme Court too says HINDUTVA not religious (Sahgal:20) But lines ARE blurred. Hindutva definition CREATED to EXCLUDE Muslims (and Christians) and its AIM is to create a HINDU RASHTRA (a Hindu nation) Golwakar, leader of RSS and great admirer of Hitler, had this to say: The foreign races in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture, i.e. of the Hindu nation and must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment -- not even citizen's rights. There is, at least should be, no other course for them to adopt. (Mishra: 193) Creating a Fear of Muslims Hindutva