Communal differences and violence are increasing, is India a Hindu state?

Secularism is mentioned in the Constitution of India. Which means, the state power is not bound to show allegiance to any religion and all Indian citizens have the right to practice their religion according to their own beliefs.

How Hindu nationalism came to dominate Indian politics?

The multi-phase polling for India's Lok Sabha elections will end on June 1. Narendra Modi is counting the days to become the Prime Minister for the third term.

Mr. on several subjects. Modi and his party Bharatiya Janata Party-BJP have banked on the popularity of one of its Hindu nationalist ideals or Hindutva.

The staunch proponents of this ideal want a Hindu theocratic state where the needs of Hindus will be prioritized.a

Critics see the approach as discriminatory and a threat to peaceful coexistence among different religious communities in the world's most populous country.

Many Muslims complain that communal hatred and attacks have increased under Modi's rule. Even though the religious minorities have suffered a bad situation, the BJP is reluctant to admit it.

What is Hinduism?

Religion and nationalism are seen together in Hinduism. Hindu religious identity and Indian national identity are believed to be inextricably linked.

The term Hindutva was first coined by Chandranath Bose, one of the promoters of religion-centric nationalism. The concept came into discussion during the Indian struggle against British rule in the 1890s.

But it gained popularity two decades later, with anti-colonial politician Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Savarkar is also seen as the father of Hindutva ideals.

In 1922 he wrote a booklet called 'Essentials of Hindutva' sitting in British prison. There he referred to the Indus Valley as the birthplace of 'Hindu Identity'.

Although a self-professed atheist, he believed that Hindus' connection to the region was not merely religious but ethnic or ethnographic with political and cultural identity intertwined.

Hindu nationalism became one of the many nationalist movements engaged in the struggle for independence from the British.

Even Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi used religious language to make his message understandable to common people. Professor Subir Sinha, director of the South Asian Institute of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, told the BBC this information.

But, Gandhi and Savarkar had different paths. Professor Sinha and many other analysts believe that Savarkar took inspiration from the fascism that flourished at that time. Mr. "The early leadership of Hinduism openly praised Mussolini and Hitler," says Sinha.

The reason for this attraction to their views is that “they set up a definition of who is German and who is not German”, says Professor Subir Sinha.

Is India a Hindu state?

According to the 2011 census, 80 percent of India's population is Hindu and 14 percent Muslim. Besides, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and other communities together constitute the remaining six percent of the population.

Secularism is mentioned in the Constitution of India. Which means, the state power is not bound to show allegiance to any religion and all Indian citizens have the right to practice their religion according to their own beliefs.

But, the role of religion is becoming increasingly sensitive.

Complaints of the opposition, Mr. Modi and BJP's Hindu-first policy is undermining the very foundations of secularism.

However, some Indians, such as retired military officer and author Saroj Chadha, believe that the policy of superstructure support for the majority Hindu population is perfectly compatible with secular rule.

Ancient Hindu kings, he argues, practiced secularism for thousands of years, "remaining steadfast in their commitment and responsibility to protect Hinduism".

In his words, “this is perhaps the best form of secularism”.

Where is the connection of Hindutva with the rulers?

Hindu nationalism is one of the core principles of the BJP. The party has its roots in Hindu revivalist movements such as the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) formed during the British rule.

The RSS started out as a hard-right Hindu nationalist organization. Its founder Keshav Boliram Hedgewar is believed to have been heavily influenced by Savarkar.

The organization has been banned three times since independence. The first time was in 1948, after Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was assassinated by ex-RSS member Nathuram Gods.

Then again in 1975, when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared Emergency. At that time almost all the opposition leaders had to be imprisoned.

RSS was banned for the third time in 1992. That year, hardline Hindu organizations demolished the 16th century Babri Masjid.

Today, the RSS is seen as the ideological source of the BJP. They have both strong grassroots networks and extensive political influence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been associated with the RSS since the age of eight.

Ever since its ascension to power, the party began to vigorously promote Hindu nationalism.

Milan Vaishnav, director of the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, explains, “In many ways, he is the ideal spokesman for Hindu nationalism. Because he is a true believer and closely associated with the movement.”

In which direction is communalism taking India?

Some of BJP's policies have increased tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities.

In 2019, the government revoked the autonomous status of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir. This is claimed to be done to bring parity with other parts of the country.

In January this year, Mr. Ram Mandir was inaugurated at the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, known as the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram. Modi.

The opposition complains that some of the ruling party's ministers regularly make speeches with inflammatory, Islamophobic metaphors.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the topic of religion in one of his election rallies in Rajasthan on April 21. After that, in two separate meetings in two days, he brought up the topic of religion again.

Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan, Narendra Modi said, "The opposition Congress wants to divide the country's wealth among those who have more children."

He referred to 'infiltrators' without using the word Muslim. He was criticized for that.

In addition, attacks on Muslims have been reported in the media from time to time and anti-Muslim hate speech has also increased. According to the India Hate Lab, a Washington DC-based research institute, one-third of the incidents of overt religious hatred in India in 2023 occurred in BJP-ruled states.

View of supporters of Hinduism

Supporters of Hindutva range from moderates to extremists. There are also incidents of spreading hate through social media.

In 2022, one person involved in such activities claimed that he did not hate Muslims, saying, "I only object to the way they practice their religion."

Some Hindus have adopted the values of the word 'Hindutva' without knowing anything about it. For example - some people think that India was a land of Hindus. Later it was taken away from them.

They welcomed the Hindu nomenclature by changing the Islamic-sounding name. For example, the name of Aurangabad was changed to Shambhajinagar.

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