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Hindutva ("Hinduness", a word coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his 1923 pamphlet entitled Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? ) is used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. The former ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is closely associated with a group of organizations that promote Hindutva. They collectively refer to themselves as the "Sangh Parivar" or family of associations, and include the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
This right-wing ideology has existed since the early 20th century, but only came to prominence in Indian politics in the late 1980s, when two events attracted a large number of mainstream Hindus to the movement. The first of these events was the Rajiv Gandhi government's use of its large Parliamentary Majority to overturn a Supreme Court verdict that had angered conservative Muslims (see the Shah Bano case). The second was the dispute over the 16th century Mughal Babri Mosque in Ayodhya — built by Babur after his first major victory in India, allegedly on the site of an existing temple marking the birthplace of Rama, whom Hindus considered to be an avatar of Vishnu — which came to a head with the mosque's destruction by a Hindu mob in 1992 and subsequent rioting across the country.
Organizations
Most nationalists are organized into political, cultural and social organizations. The first Hindu nationalist organisation formed was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, founded in 1925. A prominent Indian political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is closely associated with a group of organizations that promote Hindutva. They collectively refer to themselves as the "Sangh Parivar" or family of associations, and include the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad.
Definition and etymology
In a judgment the Indian Supreme Court ruled that "no precise meaning can be ascribed to the terms 'Hindu', 'Hindutva' and 'Hinduism'; and no meaning in the abstract can confine it to the narrow limits of religion alone, excluding the content of Indian culture and heritage.
In popular usage Hindutva has come to be identified with the guiding ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu Nationalist organization. The etymology of the word is peculiar, "Hindu-" coming from a Persian root while "-tva" is a Sanskrit suffix. "Hindutva" is thus usually translated by its opponents as "Hinduness", describing a nationalist identity based around hindu religion. However hindu organizations like RSS look at Hindutva as a nationalist identity based on the traditions and cultural heritage of the Indian sub-continent. It is in many respects a syncretic ideology; though it draws heavily from Hindu philosophy rhetorically and holds Hindu historical and religious figures up as inspirational examples, it is also centrally informed by Western traditions that have no historical origins in Hinduism.
Central beliefs
Some central beliefs of this version of Hindutva are:
- The Indian subcontinent (which includes the area south of the Himalaya and the Hindu Kush, usually Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and sometimes Afghanistan) or Akhand Bharat is the homeland of the Hindus.
- "Hindus" are those who consider India (Bharat) to be their fatherland (pitribhumi) as well as their holyland (punyabhumi) (definition as proposed by Savarkar). Hence it typically means that Hindus are those whose religion is indigenous to India. This includes Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, as well as those who are usually accounted as mainstream Hindus.
- An Indian origin of Hinduism sometimes opposing the Indo-Iranian migration theory that Vedic religion and Indo-Aryan Languages came from Central Asia along with the Aryans around 3500 years ago. They often propose that the Indus Valley Civilization was Aryan, that Aryan culture traveled to Iran from India rather than vice-versa, and even that Indo-European language originated in India rather than in Central Asia. These unorthodox views are disputed by most historians and linguists.
- Hindus have been historically oppressed in their own land by invading forces like the Muslims and the Christians.
- Hindus have become weak over time due to the influence of British colonial and Communist thinking.
- A Hindu state (or rather, declaration of a Hindu nation) must be established to protect the rights of the Hindus in their homeland and bring about a general cultural revival.
Philosophy
The Hindu nationalists look upon themselves as great nation builders. They have the stated aim of uniting the Hindu society which is plagued by casteism, regionalism and passive religion.
Major Organizations
- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- Bharatiya Janata party - The Political Wing
- Vishva Hindu Parisad
- Bajrang Dal
- Swadeshi Jagran Manch
- Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh -
- Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad - A Student's Union
- Bharatiya Kisan Sangh - A Farmers' organization
- Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram
- Hindu Mahasabha - A minor, but extremist political party
The major political wing is the BJP which was in power in India's Central Government for six years from 1998 to 2004 and is now the main opposition party. It is also in power in the five states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. It is an alliance partner in the states of Orissa, Bihar and Karnataka.
Views on other faiths
The advocates of Hindutva often use the term pseudo-secularism to refer to the Indian Constitution's provisions for minority rights. They point to the different standards for Hindus, Muslims and Christians. They rebel against an attempt to create what they see as a 'separate-but-equal' system; some supporters of Hindutva see it as the Indian National Congress party's effort to woo the sizeable minority vote bank at the expense of true equality. The subject of a secular Uniform Civil Code, which would remove special religion-based provisions for different religions (Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, etc) from the Indian Constitution, is thus one of the main political planks of Hindutva. The Uniform Civil Code is opposed by Muslims, Christians and parties like the Indian National Congress and The Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Followers contend that in a secular democracy it makes little sense to allow Muslims, for example, to marry more than once, but prosecute Hindus or Christians for doing the same. Muslims are also funded for the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca and subsidies for their religious schools Madrasa, while Hindutva followers claim Hindus are accorded no similar privilege for their own pilgrimages or religious schools by the Government of India and are made to pay for subsidies to Muslims pilgrimages and religious education.
Christians are also given separate standards for divorce (which is more difficult for them than it is for Hindus). The amendment of the Indian constitution by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to overturn a Supreme Court judgment under pressure from the conservative Muslims incensed many Hindus who became Hindutva supporters. The amended laws, more in tune with the Shariat, reduced the rights that divorced Muslim women previously had.
Many feel that Hindutva speaks for the Hindu majority in India. They also often feel that secular democracy implies equality for all religions, and want a Uniform Civil Code passed for the same reason.
One must also differentiate between the word "Secularism" as used in the Western and Indian contexts. Secularism(W) implies "separation of church & state" whereas Secularism(I) means "equal respect for all religions".
Historical revisionism?
The ideological beginning of this line of political thought in modern India is the RSS. Its aim, according to its stated objectives is to instil national pride in every Indian. Its motto is 'Sangathit Hindu, Samartha Bharat' i.e. 'United Hindus, capable India'. The RSS is the largest voluntary organisation in the world. All of its gatherings are held on open grounds, where men, women and children of all ages gather in daily meetings. There are about 50000 such daily gatherings (called shakha, i.e. branch) across the length and breadth of the country. It has widespread support among Indian Hindus.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was established to network with Hindus outside India. The Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the VHP. The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is sometimes referred to as the political wing of the RSS and draws its cadre mostly from the RSS.
The RSS worldview is that India is the fount of civilisation, from where a lot of knowledge spread to the rest of the world. To this end it challenges many contemporary historic notions such as the Medes and Aryan invasions/ migrations, and influence of Babylonic cultures and ancient central asian civilizations/ invaders on the development of the philosophy and relgions of India. To this end one of its goals is to change what it perceives as distortions in history as currently taught in Indian universities, which is by their contention biased and skewed because the primary source is the colonial historians (Britons), and then the communists, their former and current colonizers, respectively. Mainstream scholars, however, both in the West and India, contend many of these claims as being unfounded, and many see the RSS view of history as being itself skewed by ethnocentric thinking, and influenced primarily by nationalist sentiment.
For some critics such nationalism comes close to a form of "Indian fascism": a term that has been applied by critics to organisations based on the principle of Hindutva, in particular the Sangh Parivar. This term is often supported by referring to comments made by Sadashiv Golwalkar, head of the RSS from 1940-1973, in defence of Nazi anti-Semitism. The extreme anti-Brahaminical Dalit movement regularly compares Hindutva to Nazism. (One must note, however, that the extreme anti-Brahminical movement regularly condemns much of traditional and popular Hinduism.) Such views have been condemned by pro-Hindutva authors such as Koenraad Elst as per them the ideology of Hindutva meets none of the characteristics of other fascist ideologies.
Literature
- Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar: Hindutva. Bharati Sahitya Sadan, Delhi 1989 (1923).
- Elst, Koenraad: Decolonizing the Hindu Mind. Ideological Development of Hindu Revivalism. Rupa, Delhi 2001.
- Elst, Koenraad: The Saffron Swastika. The Notion of "Hindu Fascism". New Delhi: Voice of India, 2001, 2 Vols., ISBN 8185990697 ,
- Goel, Sita Ram: Perversion of India's Political Parlance. Voice of India, Delhi 1984.
- Goel, Sita Ram (editor): Time for Stock Taking. Whither Sangh Parivar? 1996.
- Shourie, Arun: A Secular Agenda. HarperCollins ~ ISBN 8172232586
See also
External links
- Official Site for Rashtriya Swamamsevak Sangh
- Official Site for BJP
- Article by Koenraad Elst on allegations of "Hindu fascism", More articles on "Hindu fascism"
- Arun Shourie on Hindutva
- Current Global Politics and History from a Hindutva viewpoint
- Hindu Holocaust Museum
- Bharatvani Institute
- Hindu Unity Bajrang Dal Youth Wing
- Veer Savarkar vindicated
- Article on Hindutva by Ashok Chowgule
- Hindu Rashtra
- Hindus Arise