Hindu Nationalism in India

Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expressions of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Some scholars have argued that the use of the term “Hindu nationalism” to refer to Hindu Rastravada is a simplistic translation and is better described by the term “Hindu polity”. Hindu  ationalism and Democracy examines the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as one of the dominant forces within Indian politics. The ideology of the party is analyzed as a form of religious nationalism, with possible strains in its relation to the religious minorities of India. The Hindu nationalism of M. S. Golwalkar was dissimilar from that of V. D, Savarkar in the sense that Golwalkar’s theory of nationalism was based on Indian spiritualism. Savarkar was a modernist and he did not oppose westernization. But Golwalkar was a supporter of Hindu civilization and opposed the Western method of life. He held that the Indian spiritualism was superior to the Western materialism. He whispered that India was a holy land and it was the divine will that India should lead the world. This book provides a viable alternative based upon the desired behaviors at individual and group levels. The Hindu way of life the book propounds, gives prominence to culture and social relations rather than to economic and political behaviors

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