World Religions
Can India’s idea of nationalism, or Hindutva, include anyone who is not Hindu? That’s the question the Economist Magazine tries to explain in this short review of the origins of Hindu nationalism.
Hindu nationalism began in the 19th century while India was a colony of England. A number of nationalist organizations came together under one umbrella called Sangh Parivar.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak or RSS, is the most important organization of the Sangh and Narenda Modi’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is also a member of the Sangh.
According to the Economist, Modi defines Hindutva more as a way of life, rather than a religion. That’s a problem for religious minorities in India like Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. “If your fatherland is India but your holy land is Mecca,” notes the Economist, “then you are something less than wholly Hindu, and less than wholly Indian.”
And this is why minorities are nervous about Modi’s election. In 2002, Modi seemed to condone riots in Gujarat in which many Muslims were killed by Hindus.
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