Hindu Nationalism in India

by Tanika Sarkar

Overview

In the twenty-first century, there has been a seismic shift in Indian political, religious and social life. The country's guiding spirit was formerly a fusion of the anti-caste worldview of B.R. Ambedkar; the inclusive Hinduism of Mahatma Gandhi; and the agnostic secularism of Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, that fusion has given way to Hindutva. This now-dominant version of Hinduism blends the militant nationalism of V.D. Savarkar; the Brahmanical anti-minorityism of M.S. Golwalkar; and the global Islamophobia of India's ruling regime. It requires deep cultural analysis and historical understanding, as only the sharpest and most profoundly informed historian can provide. For two decades, Tanika Sarkar has forged a path through the alleys and byways of Hindutva. She has trawled through the writing and iconography of its organisations and institutions, including RSS schools and VHP temples. She has visited the offices and homes of Hindutva's votaries, interviewing men and women who believe fervently in their mission of Hinduising India. And she has contextualised this new ferment on the ground with her formidable archival knowledge of Hindutva's origins and development over 150 years, from Bankimchandra to the Babri mosque and beyond. This riveting book connects Hindu religious nationalism with the cultural politics of everyday India.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197654224
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/01/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	569 KB

About the Author

Tanika Sarkar's books include Hindu Wife, Hindu Nation and Rebels, Wives, Saints. Prior to her retirement, she was Professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University. ?

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction by Amrita Basu 1. The Birth of a Goddess: Bankimchandra Chattopadhyaya's Anandamath 2. The Woman as Communal Subject: The Rashtrasevika Samiti and the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement 3. Pragmatics of the Hindu Right: The Politics of Women's Organizations 4. Love in the Time of Hindutva 5. Educating the Children of the Hindu Rashtra: Notes on RSS Schools 6. Problems of Social Power in the Discourses of the Hindu Right 7. Historical Pedagogy and Historical Common Sense: Hindutva's Public and Professional Histories 8. Hinduism, Hindu Nation, and History Sources of First Publication Index

Editorial Reviews

"A brisk tour of the Hindu nationalist organisations at the forefront of the effort to turn India into a Hindu country. These essays are informative and persuasively argued, reflecting the years of painstaking fieldwork that went into them. Sarkar's prose is measured and eminently reasonable, pointing to Hindu nationalism's endless capacity to renew itself and adapt to its surroundings."— Pratinav Anil, co-author of India's First Dictatorship

"Written in accessible prose, this book provides insight into how powerful religion and culture can be, whether one is a believer or not." — Choice

From the Publisher