The rise of Hindutva and Communal violence in India

Hindutva is an ideology and religious-based Hindu nationalism in India which is designed to augment Hindu influence and establish Hindus’ hegemony. It is similar to Zionism which calls for religious domination.

In the 21th century, Vananyak Damodar Savarkar would have been happy, if he was alive, because his ambition came true as India has been driven on the path of Hindutva by the incumbent Modi regime. In 1925, the Hindu nationalist party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar for the liberation movement against the colonial power and tried to make Hindustan ‘‘a Hindu Rashtra’’. ^.With such an ideology, the RSS continued its struggle against the British Raj with an aim to oust them only to establish a Hindu-dominated India. The far-extremist ideology, however, diverged from the values and cultural tenets of Hinduism with little concession for other religious groups or minorities including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and even the lower-class Hindus. However, the ousting of Britain did not accomplish their motives but there existed other challenges to their monopoly in the Indian society and Independent India.

Soon after assuming office as the first Prime Minister of India, the liberal democratic Jawahar Lal Nehru discouraged any such effort that could make India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ as envisioned by the Hindutva-based extremist factions. The RSS, however, did not envoy any political legitimacy in the Indian society and in order to cope with this challenge, various extremist political and religious entities combined together and in the 1980s gave birth to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which became the de facto political force of the RSS and the Hindu extremists.

After independence, the nationalist forces inside India were not happy with secular India and they were continuously trying to nationalise India as a Hindu state (Hindu Rashtra). Hindu extremist right-wing parties want India as a Hindu state not as a secular state. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is an Indian right-wing, paramilitary and Hindu nationalist party. RSS involvement in violence and insecurity of other minorities led to a ban by the Raj-era Punjab government which was not lifted until 28 January 1947.^.It also rejected the Indian national flag and equally opposed the Indian constitution establishing a  ‘secular state’. The RSS was following their ‘Guruji’, Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, who threatened the Mahatma Ghandhi. After his assassination by an RSS member, Guruji was jailed and the RSS also banned.

The recent flux of BJP-led ‘Hindutva’ ideology as the prime political agenda is of growing concern to the religious and ethnic minorities. For instance the recent exclusion of almost 1.9 million Assamese from the National Register of citizens has threatened the future of Muslim ethnicities. The sustenance of India as a secular state is imperative for a prosperous and stable regional strategic environment in South Asia.

However, the organization kept on promoting its extremist ideology by committing violence against minorities including Muslims, Christian and other sections of the society, even the lower castes of Hindus were also threatened by their violent acts and practices Again the Hindu nationalist became strong under Vajpayee which was his contribution to Hindutva agenda.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) originated from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was established in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mukherjee. During the Emergency, the Jana Sangh merged with other parties to form the Janata Party. Later, the Jana Sangh re-formed as  the BJP.

BJP, right-wing, Hindu extremist, enjoyed the large support from Hindu upper castes and also from Northern India. It has also attracted lower caste Hindus with representation in the Party, and Muslims. The BJP wants to remake India according to the teaching of Hinduism, Hindu culture, values, traditions, norms and ethics, with a unified India.

It promotse Hindu nationalism for religious India (Hindu Rashtra) and increased freedom of action for BJP-affiliated Hindu extremist groups like the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, RSS and other organizations. The influence of Hindu extremism in India threatens the minorities as such making Hindu-policies as Cow vigilantism (Gau Rakshak), Ghar Wapsi, Love Jihad and Triple Talaq.

Communal riots was not new in India that caused violence against lower caste Hindus, Dalits, and the other religions minorities like Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. The starting point of the Gujarat riots, the Godhra train burning, blamed on Muslims with no evidence. This was followed by Hindu attacks on Muslims. The ruling party BJP ignored these violent actions by Hindu extremists and even facilitated them. Then a Hindu-Muslim conflict started. The Gujarat government announced 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed.

In the Babri Masjid dispute, the BJP under Vajpayee rule was freer to do anything allowed by Hindutva ideology. The political voice of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Movement, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) ran a campaign for construction of mandir at that mosque site, which was yet to be decided by the Indian Supreme Court but they decide on the demolition of the mosque.

In Kashmir, under Modi, Indian armed forces cut off total communication and put it under curfew after the 6 August 2019 action. The whole Kashmir valley is in blood from the innocent blood of Kashmir’s and shouting for justice. Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) is restricted in terms of access to food, business activites, subjected to high distraction, inside home isolated peoples and Indian government totally controlled the Kashmir Valley by full militarization and rights violations.

India has always portrayed itself, from Nehru to now, as secular and stable which ensures security and survival of every ethnic group there. However, extremist ideologies like Hindutva have badly hampered Indian progress towards a stable and secure society. This is why Hindutva-like ideologies should not be used to manage state affairs because it could result in communal violence and go forward even to wars. India can find its destiny as a regional and global power and the world’s largest democracy only if it implements Western democracy pragmatically.

Equally, they should ensure their secular identity where religion should not interfere in state affairs. That is the only solution. This will also help in maintaining the traditional nature of peaceful co-existence in the diversity of religions, castes, tribes and classes. However, the elevation of Modi to power and his  ruthless action highlights strains of autocracy in India.

The recent flux of BJP-led ‘Hindutva’ ideology as the prime political agenda is of growing concern to the religious and ethnic minorities. For instance the recent exclusion of almost 1.9 million Assamese from the National Register of citizens has threatened the future of Muslim ethnicities. The sustenance of India as a secular state is imperative for a prosperous and stable regional strategic environment in South Asia.