Hindutva Past and Present

From Secular Democracy to Hindu Rashtra

Authors

  • Gita Sahgal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31273/fd.n5.2020.757

Abstract

This essay outlines the beginnings of Hindutva, a political movement aimed at establishing rule by the Hindu majority. It describes the origin myths of Aryan supremacy that Hindutva has developed, alongside the campaign to build a temple on the supposed birthplace of Ram, as well as the re-writing of history. These characteristics suggest that it is a far-right fundamentalist movement, in accordance with the definition of fundamentalism proposed by Feminist Dissent. Finally, it outlines Hindutva’s ‘re-imagining’ of secularism and its violent campaigns against those it labels as ‘outsiders’ to its constructed imaginary of India.

Keywords: Hindutva, fundamentalism, secularism

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Murals created by protestors against the Citizenship Amendment Act (2019) in Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi, India. January 2020.

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Published

2021-01-26

Issue

No. 5 (2020): Secular States, Fundamentalist Politics

Section

Feature Articles

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Copyright (c) 2020 Gita Sahgal

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