Symbols and Their Politics

POLITICAL SCIENCE
B.A.L.L.B. (Hons.) Semester III (2016-17)

Submitted To Submitted By:

Ms. Monika Srivastava... Monisha Purwar

Faculty, Political Science...2

Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Title Page No.

Chapter- I Introduction
1.1 Abstract 3-4
1.2 Research Problem 4
1.3 Research Question 4
1.4 Research Hypothesis 4-5
1.5 Research Methodology 5

Chapter- II Hinduism and Hindutva

2.1 What is Hinduism? 6-7
2.2 What is Hindutva? 7-8
2.3 How Hindutva is different from Hinduism? 8-9

CHAPTER III Ideologies of BJP and RSS

3.1 Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) 10-11
3.2 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) 11

CHAPTER IV Politics behind Saffron and Green 12-15

CHAPTER V Conclusion 16
Bibliography 17-19

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 CHAPTER I
Introduction

1.1 Abstract :

Symbols are manifestations of the deeply felt human need to order what Henry James called the
blooming, buzzing confusion of experience and endow this order with meaning. Symbols are
the artifacts or objectifications of this search for meaning. The most important feature of
Symbols is that they are value and emotion laden.1

When these symbols are used to represent certain political standpoint, it becomes political
symbolism. These symbols vary in media from flags, banners, pictures to mottos, acronyms,
colors etc. Cultural Groups use symbols in what many consider being a political way, for
example LGBT Symbols uses the Rainbow flag to represent this community and promoting the
political goal of LGBT Rights.

With the politics symbolism of religion, we now no more look Saffron and Green as just a color
or Om and Swastik as just another symbol or Yoga just as another form of exercise. As with
politics, these above mentioned colors or symbols are representative of certain religion. Saffron
represent Hinduism, Hindutva and Hindu Nationalist Movement whereas Green represents Islam
religion.

The association between political parties and religion is not a new one. 2 Its a trend since earlier
times that religion are used as a symbol to represent a political party, either officially or
unofficially as it is the most influential tool to collect votes. It also represents different ideologies
of a group or political associations.

Therefore, this paper is a humble attempt to look into politics symbolisation of religion. For this
purpose, the Researcher has narrowed down the topic and will focus her research on Religion

1 Rozann Rothman, The handbook of Political Behaviour (1981) pp. 285, retrieved
from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-9191-7_5#page-1
accessed on January 26, 2016 [06:39 pm]

2 How color communicates meaning ?, retrieved from

http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/how-colour-communicates-meaning accessed on
January 26, 2016 [07:23 pm]

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promoted by BJP and RSS as a Symbol and politics behind it. This project is divided into 3 parts
first part dealing with the concept of Hinduism and Hindutva, second part dealing with the
ideology of BJP and RSS, third part dealing with the Symbolization of Hindu religion used by
BJP and RSS to promote their ideologies.

1.2 Research Problem :

This project basically deals with the research on how a religion is used as a symbol to define
certain ideology? What is the basis of choosing a certain religion? This project deals with the
problem of how the ideology of Hindutva is basically an attack on Hinduism and an attempt to
protect the flanks of a minority consciousness which the democratic process is threatening to
corner. This research will also deal with, what can be the possible way to make people aware
about the political benefits of these ideologies and how they should not be influenced by these
symbols.

1.3 Research Question :

Are Hindu and Muslim just a religion or do they influence our political allegiances? How
do religion used as a symbol to promote different ideologies of political parties?

1.4 Research Hypothesis :

I have been very curious to notice that Swami Agnivesh, who has often been termed anti- Hindu
by extremist, choses to always wear Saffron. And the researcher wonders if Saffron is more than
just the color of Hindus.

In this project, the researcher is trying to study the above mentioned problem with a view that
there is a great politics behind symbolism be it in any form, using leaders, ancient scriptures,
colors, set of religious beliefs, etc. The researcher personally feels that it is the mistake of the
people who are seduced by the promises offered by the modernization of indict. It is shocking to
see how RSS members openly says in front of media that Secularism is irrelevant in India even
though Secularism is the part of our basic structure of our Constitution which cannot be amended
at any cost. Saffron should be the only color on the national flag as other colors represented a

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communal thought said by RSS Member.3 Listening to such news, the researcher thinks that
RSS openly accepts that it believes in anti- secularism in India and BJP just rephrases the
ideologies of RSS in different words. So, its the game of words to manipulate the public and
earn votes from different sections of the Society.

1.5 Research Methodology :

In this project, the researcher will first analyze the different concepts like Hindutva, Hinduism,
etc and their meaning. For this project, the Researcher will basically be dependent on Secondary
Resources like Books, journals, News- Articles, Web- Sources and try to conclude on the basis of
my personal intake on this topic.

3 RSS: Secularism irrelevant in India, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-

others/rss-secularism-irrelevant-in-india/ , accessed on January 27, 2016

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 CHAPTER II
Hinduism and Hindutva

Words like Hindu, Hindutva and Hinduism are not synonymous. They are different with
distinctive connotation. But these words are used very often as synonyms by politicians with
communal overtones either to promote or oppose some ideology or party. 4

The most appropriate example to be cited can be of Ram Janmbhoomi issue in Ayodhya which
was brought up as a national issue by the Bhartiya Janata Party before the Babri Mosque
demolition in 1992. Parties other than Bhartiya Janata Party which claims to be inspired by
Hinduism and Hindutva ideology includes Hindu Mahasabha, Ram Rajya Parishad, Shiv Sena.

2.1 What is Hinduism ?

Hinduism is an important source of political discourse in India and which is often exchanged
with Hindutva and misunderstood and misused while promoting or opposing an ideology.
Hinduism, also known as Sanatana dharma, or Eternal way, is our planets oldest living
religion, with over 1 billion adherants.5 Its sacred writings date as far back as 1400 to 1500 B.C.
All religions provide us a path for leading life and Hinduism is no different. It provides a path for
humans to liberate themselves which is called as Moksha/mukti.6 It is based upon the religion of
the Aryans settlers as expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita,
etc having an extremely diversified character with many schools of philosophy and theology,
many popular cults and a large pantheon symbolizing the many attributes of single rod. 7 It is also

4 (A. Parvathy 2003) Meaning and origin of the word Hindu, retrieved from
http://www.shraddhananda.com/Meaning_and_Origin_Of_The_Word_Hindu.html on
February 14, 2016 [01:02 pm]

5 Hinduism : An Overview, retrieved from

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/wfchannel/index.php?wfc_cid=5, retrieved
on February 14, 2016[11:16 am]

6https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-definition-of-Hinduism-that-you-have-
come-across on February 14, 2016 [02:28]

7 Definition of Hinduism as described in Dictionary.com

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one of the most diverse and complex religion having a broad range of beliefs, values, customs,
practices and mystic goals which varies from sect to sect but virtually concurs on certain bedrock
concepts.8 About 80 percent of Indias population and 30 million Hindus living outside of India
making Hinduism as the third largest religion in the world.9

Traditionally, Hinduism was linked to the caste system- a division of Indian society into several
rigid groups, with emphasizes on freedom from the material world through purification of desires
and elimination of personal identity and dharma with its resulting ritual and social observances
and often mystical contemplation and ascetic practices.10 But the modern definition of Hinduism
focuses on more spiritual than religious. It is a religion that emphasizes on what was being
practiced in the West.11

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Swami Vivekananda were some
of the most prominent figures who formulated a political vision and a social reform program for
India on the basis of Hinduism ideology. Later, figures like Sri Aurobindo, Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar and Madhav Sadashiv Gowalkar formed political direction of the Hindus in India.
Many more people believed in maintaining a nationalist Hindu mentality due to its ancient value.
Slowly, within decades, Hinduism as an ideology expanded and continued to expand for so many
years by claiming more and more religion as acceptable such as Buddhism. It comprises of many
political ideologies such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam12, Rama Rajya13, Hindu Nationalism14,
Hindutva which is the official ideology of the Bhartiya Janata Party15 16, etc.

2.2 What is Hindutva ?

8 What is Hinduism and What do hindus believe?, retrieved from
http://www.gotquestions.org/hinduism.html, on February 14, 2016 [11:13 am]

9 Hinduism, retrieved from http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism on February 14,

2016 [06:15]

10 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hinduism, retrieved on February 14,

2016 [02:37 pm]

11 Amanda J. Huffer, Abstract from Hinduism without Religion: Ammas movement

in America (September 2011) pp. 374-398

12 Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is an ideology which states that the whole cosmos is a

single family, retrieved from Harijan Weekly Newspaper of January 2, 1937.

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Hindutva, people also preferred to call it a Hinduness, is a term coined by Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar in 1923, is the predominant form of Hindu nationalism in India. It must be noted at
prima facie that Hindutva is a nationalist, and not a religious or theocratic concept. 17 It is the
official ideology of BJP adopted in 1989 which is championed by the Hindu nationalist volunteer
organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organisations, notably the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad, along with the older term Hindu Rashtra.18

Hindutva is an ideology with a complex method and philosophy. V.D. Savarkar envisaged
Hindutva as a comprehensive term which encompasses not only the religious aspect of the
Hindus but also their cultural, linguistic, social and political elements. 19 The ultimate aim of
Hindutva is Hindu cultural nationalism epitomized in the establishment of a Hindu nation. In
order to achieve this end it employs a variety of methods and follows a peculiar philosophy,
many aspects of which are dubious, controversial and problematic.

The ultimate aim of Hindutva, as envisaged by its major ideologues, is to create a Hindu
empire in India. In order to achieve this goal, one of the major methodological tactics of
Hindutva has been

13 Rama Rajya was an Indian ideology promoted by Gandhiji which according to him
is the sovereignty of the people based on pure moral authority., retrieved from
Young India of September 19, 1929.

14 Hindu Nationalism is the political philosophy of cultural nationalism promoted by

Vivekananda, Aurobindo and other modern Hindu Gurus.

15Hindutva is the political ideology first expressed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

who defined a Hindu in terms of nationalism, retrieved from
http://www.bjp.org/about-the-party/philosophy on February 14, 2016 [02:06 pm]

16 Hindutva, India: Bharati Sahitya Sadan, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1923)

17 Shri Arun Shourie, Philosophy of BJP, retrieved from http://www.bjp.org/about-

the-party/philosophy/?u=hindutva on February 14, 2016 [07:51 pm]

18 What is Hindutva, retrieved from https://hinduextremism.wordpress.com/about/

on January 15, 2016 [09:07 pm]

19 V.D.SAVARKAR, Hindu Sanghatan, 132. And P.APPAIAH, Hindutva Ideology and

Politics, 113-131.

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2.3 How Hindutva is different from Hinduism ?

According to Savarkar, the term Hindutva does not mean only the religion Hinduism but it also
covers the complete Hindu civilization and its history. Hinduism is thus, only a fraction of the
civilization called Hindutva.20 Therefore, it can be concluded that the very reason for the
emergence of Hindutva is the limitation brought forth by prefix ism 21 attached to the term
Hinduism.

Hindutva basically represents a mindset that is based on Hinduism, which itself is imbued with
Indian culture. It is a representative of Indian cultural ethos, transcending the narrow boundaries
of different religions. It is not to be mentioned here that there is no difference between Hindutva
and Indian-ness which implies that even non-Hindus, living in India have a mindset, to a greater
or lesser degree, inspired by Hindutva. That is why Savarkar used the term Hindu to refer to the
collectivity of the people of India - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsees, etc. But
unfortunately, the term Hindutva in the modern era has come to exclusively describe Hindu
religious fanatics like Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal.22

On the other hand, Hindutva is a nationalist ideology, based on a modern day version of
centralized intolerant Hinduism. It has nothing to do with a historical tradition of spiritual
practices that we call Hinduism. Such a centralized and chauvinistic Hinduism- Hindutva- has
been brought to the fore front by a group of political organizations known as Sangh Parivar,

20 What exactly Hindutva is?, retrieved from http://veda.wikidot.com/hindutva on

February 15, 2016 [08:56 pm]

21 Ism is a relatively narrow, limited ideology or set of beliefs, which follows det
rules, guidelines and definitions.

22 What is Hindutva?, retrieved from http://www.bjp.org/about-the-

party/philosophy/?u=hindutva on February 15, 2016 [05:56 pm]

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consisting of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)23, Bhartiya Janata Party24, Vishwa Hindu
Parishad25, Shiv Sena26, the Hindu Students Council27, etc.

Hindutva, in other words, is an ideology which survives by instilling Hindu population against
Muslims and other minority groups or communities with the ultimate purpose of cleansing India
of non-Hindus.

CHAPTER III
Ideologies of BJP and RSS

3.1 Bhartiya Janata Party :

23 National volunteers Association- the mother organisation after which the label
Sangh Parivar is coined.

24 Indian People Party Hindutvas constitutional front that fights elections, etc

25 World Hindu Council- the formations activist front

26 The facist front

27 VHP of Americas student wing- An anti- Indian Nationalist Ideology

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The BJP is the most recent incarnation of a Hindu nationalist party, created in 1980 out of the old
Bhartiya Jan Sangh (Indian Peoples Party), itself an upgrade of the pre- 1947 Hindu Mahasabha.
It is a religious conservative political organisation that sees itself as rising to the defense of
indigenous culture and Indian religious systems, which include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
etc. It is not a quite a political party like any other. In fact, it is merely the visible peak of a much
larger mass of organizations known as Sangh Parivar, all of whom committed to the ideology of
Hindu nationalism, or Hindutva- organizations that range from political associations, civil
society groups, religious sects, and para- criminal gangs.

The BJPs definition of Indian nationalism subscribes to Savarkars definition of the ideology of
Hindutva( the translation of this neologism is Hinduness), which excludes as non- Indian all
those religions whose origins do not lie within the territorial space of India (in effect, all religions
except Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism) and which views adherants of the non-Indian
religions as suspect or secondary citizens. Hindutva celebrates a glorious ancient Hindu past; but
in the hands of the BJP, Hindutva also encompasses the armory of the modern state.

BJP declares itself as a positive project of cultural nationalism (one nation, one people, one
culture). In fact, it advocates a negative program, one that seeks to efface all the signs of non-
Hinduness that are integral to India. It is a strongly upper- caste Hindu oriented party whose
ultimate goal is creating a Hindu cultural nation and consolidating all Hindus together under a
unique Hindu identity called Hindutva. The politics followed by this party is known as Saffron
politics as its symbols is a saffron lotus.28

An article by Shri Arun Shourie on the official site of BJP states how Secularism, a symbol in
politics is used to promote or oppose a certain ideology. It states that whenever a Muslim or a
candidate from among the forces of social change says that Islam is in danger, Get together, there
is nothing wrong as it and it is natural for a minority to feel insecure. But when the same

28 Badri Narayan, Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation

(2009), retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?
id=8bJ_rhfu6yUC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=symbolisation+of+hindutva&source
=bl&ots=cNw0r_haZA&sig=AXm-
MDotqIwiHgFPLTtemiKwObM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRzuenqvrKAhXCcI4KHarc
BG8Q6AEIOTAG#v=onepage&q=saffron&f=false

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sentence is said by a Hindu candidate, it is regarded as terrible and the candidate is being
communal who is indulging in a corrupt electoral practice and his election ought to be struck
down. When a Muslim candidate is saying things like Get together and bend this Government to
concede X,Y,Z (political parties) in the reckoning of secularists, he is just asking for
amelioration; but when a Hindu candidate says, "Get together so that governments do not bend to
these communalists and concede X,Y,Z, he is being communal and fomenting religious
bigotry.29

3.2 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh :

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS- National Volunteer Corps) was founded in 1925 in
reaction to what was then perceived as aggressive pan-Islamism on the part of the Muslim
minority. It was created to overcome the feeling of vulnerability, was supposed to enable Hindus
to assimilate the qualities perceived as being at the root of Muslim strength, starting with their
allegedly intense sense of community. It has developed a strictly codified ideology of Hindu
nationalism, which is political to the core- but the movement does not want to appear as political.

Coincidently, the RSS leadership determines all senior and significant appointments within the
BJP, and virtually all senior and significant appointments within the BJP and virtually all senior
BJP leaders have been members of RSS.

29 BJP Philosophy of Hindutva, retrieved from http://www.bjp.org/about-the-

party/philosophy/?u=hindutva on Feb 15, 2016 [03:24 pm]

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 CHAPTER III
Symbolisation of Hindu Religion

The ultimate aim of Hindutva, as conceived by its significant ideologues, is to make a Hindu
"domain" in India. With a specific end goal to accomplish this objective, one of the major
methodological strategies of Hindutva has been a rebuilding of Hindu religion so it can be used
for the political preparation of the Hindu masses. Savarkar, the longtime president of the Hindu
Mahasabha the principal major political gathering of the Hindus was essentially in charge
of putting into practice this strategy. He kept up that each political issue in India is either
religious or social and each religious and social inquiry is political. Savarkar's oft-rehashed
motto was 'Hinduise all legislative issues and mobilize Hinduism', and he requested that the
Hindus test all national and global governmental issues and arrangements through the Hindu
perspective alone.

Hindutva is therefore a religio-political formula for accomplishing Hindu social patriotism.

Under Savarkar's administration the Hindu Mahasabha endeavored to unite the different Hindu
orders into a solitary entire so as to make them politically intense so it might secure the Hindu
intrigues. Over the span of time the Hindu Mahasabha turned into an unequivocal association of
Hindu patriots and an elite relationship of Hindus. It even battled races all alone, restricting the
Indian National Congress, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi a noteworthy mainstream
political gathering, and two famous national pioneers individually, who had a dream of an India
which is common and socially plural.

As part of the strategy of Hinduism, Savarkar requested that the Hindus to elect only Hindus to
speak to them in the governing bodies as only they can, as per him, protect, shield and advance
the hobbies of the Hindus. Henceforth he asked the Hindu Sanghatanists to catch political power
wherever conceivable in civil sheets, lawmaking bodies, commonplace and focal
governments and blacklist the Indian National Congress and vote just for affirmed Hindu
patriots. Indeed, even the re-change development (shuddhi) overwhelmingly advanced by
Savarkar was inspired by his political belief system . The hidden purpose behind this stand of
Savarkar was that, if a Hindu country is shaped, the Hindu dialect, the Hindu society and the

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Hindu religion will be protected and no unlawful or compelling transformation of a Hindu to
non-Hindu beliefs will be endured .

Gowalkar additionally enormously supported politicization of Hindu religion in the conviction

that Hindu religion is not an element isolated from Indian national life. He thought of it as the
sap of national tree and the life-breath of the national substance. Consequently as indicated by
him, Indians can't surrender religion in their national life. Pravin Togadia an unmistakable
pioneer of the VHP says: "India is multipolar there is the state, there is religion, there is
standing. Governmental issues can't be battled, nor wrote about, by disregarding religious claim
by laughing at Hindu supposition".

In contemporary times the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) was another clear case of Hinduism
straightforwardly offering for political force. Subsequent to the 1980s politicization of Hinduism
has turned into a noteworthy pattern in Indian legislative issues with the resurrection of
Bharatiya Jana Sangh as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). From that point forward there has been a
relentless increment in the constituent backing for the BJP, which likewise explicitly remains for
Hindu social patriotism and politicization of Hindu religion. Therefore, it has won across the
board claim in India and there has been an enduring development of this gathering in the
previous years . At the point when in 1993 the Narasimha Rao government presented two bills in
parliament with the point of banning religion from open life, the BJP restricted saying: "We
unequivocally protest religion being deciphered as dharma. By expelling religion from legislative
issues, we might be debilitating the ethical base of open life". It likewise composed four rath
yatras ('chariot parades') called Janadesh Yatra keeping in mind the end goal to assemble popular
assessment against these 'religion bills' .

To underline the significance of religion in Indian legislative issues, Sonia Gandhi, the present
president of the Congress party, has been portrayed by some RSS copyists as a Roman Catholic
who bows low before the Hindu god. Concerning the Gujarat gathering decisions of December
2002 in which Narendra Modi of the BJP won with a dominant part despite the famous
Godhra and post-Godhra occasions is an undeniable illustration of the force of religion in
India for political preparation. Remarking on this occasion Dipankar Gupta takes note of that
Hindutva was the main inquiry before the Gujarat electorate. After the decision, Gujarat was
pronounced as the 'Hindutva lab' second to none and some Hindutva ideologues contended

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audaciously that the same test would be rehashed everywhere throughout the nation. Once more,
it was seen amid the crusade for the State get together decisions in the State of Madhya Pradesh
in 2003 that regardless of the possibility that the Congress wins in the State Hinduism will
triumph. The southern State of Kerala where so far the BJP has not won even a solitary Assembly
or Parliamentary seat, is currently attempting to charm the Shri Narayana Dharma Paripalana
Yogam (SNDP) and the Nair Service Society (NSS), and its fantasy is to make a third front by
speaking to an area of the Hindus of the State30.

The involvement of the VHP, RSS, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and other communal organisations in
politics is also part of a bigger strategy of Hindutva to politicize Hinduism and to make Hindutva
synonymous with Hindu religion.

Hindutva advocates have misled national needs, for example, enactment on against change, cow
butcher, constructing the Ram sanctuary at Ayodhya and different sanctuaries somewhere else in
the wake of wrecking the current structures of different religions, presentation of uniform
common code, correcting the Indian Constitution to shorten the privileges of religious minorities.
As of late somebody contended that what is to be banned is not dairy animals butcher but rather
man butcher. It has likewise been commented that, today, one can't convey dairy animals skins
for they will be captured. These are normal instances of lost needs of the Hindutva pioneers.
Hence, parochial and common issues are anticipated as national needs. For instance, sanctuary
working at Ayodhya was a national issue for the previous BJP-drove government in New Delhi,
and not country building.

The true national priorities should have been education, social reform, promotion of health care
and sanitation, democracy and secularism, combating corruption, illiteracy, poverty, caste
system, untouchability, dowry system, population explosion, violation of human rights, religious
intolerance, gender inequality, social injustice and communalism, Unfortunately it is not the case
in India. Thus, Hindutva takes the nation not to progress and development but towards
backwardness and disintegration.

Saffronisation :

30 There are over 3000 RSS shakhas active in the State of Kerala in order to realise
this dream.

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The adoption of the name, flag and symbol of the BJP party is the portrayal of the Janata party
legacy especially Jaya Prakash Narayans idealism. BJP chose a flag saffron and green similar
to the plural traditions of the Janata Party rather than the solid saffron flag of Jana Sangh.31

We all think that why should anybody be allergic to saffron? Saffron is a sacred color. It is the
essence and symbol of Indian culture. It represents sacrifice, asceticism, strength and purity. The
whole attempt of saffronisation is nothing but fabricating a common heritage for Indians, a
monolithic understanding of Indias friends and foes, victories and failures, blessings and curses.
32
Right from the inception of RSS, it felt that it should use certain symbols to arouse the youth.
Therefore, it aimed at Lord Rama in revitalizing Hindus. It used the legend of Rama to define its
ideology and saffron is supposed to be the flag of Rama.33

Politics behind the symbol of Lotus :

A saffron Lotus with green leaves, symbol of one of the biggest political party in our country,
Bhartiya Janata Party, BJP. A party which is attempting to polarize the majority against the
minorities, simply because of the reason that there are a LOT of US. 34 Organizations like the
RSS, VHP & Bajrang Dal are the leaves of this Lotus, that seems detached on the surface, but are
strongly connected at the root. Like the flower, they thrive in murky ponds but try to come out
looking good. 35

31 A.A Parvathy, Hindutva, Ideology and Politics (Manglore 2003) pp. 155

32 Vincent Kundukulam, Hindutva understanding of Saffronisation, retrieved from

https://nelsonmcbs.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/hindutva-understanding-of-
saffronisation/ on February 15, 2016 [06:56 pm]

33 A.A Parvathy, 102

34 Deconstruction of Election Symbols,

http://www.rameshsrivats.net/2009/05/deconstruction-of-election-symbols.html,
retrieved on February 15, 2016 [06:18 pm]

35 Ibid.

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Page | 17
 Chapter IV
Conclusion

A critical study of the philosophy and praxis of Hindutva leaves one with the obvious conclusion
that it is communal, fundamentalist, nationalistic and goes against the principles of secularism
and cultural pluralism of India. Some of the methods it employs are clearly unethical,
discriminatory and harmful, especially to the religious minorities, those of the lower strata of
society, the secularists and the right thinking Hindus themselves. It robs Hinduism of its noble
ideals and lofty spiritual and philosophical attainments by attempting to equate Hindutva with
Hindu religion. Hindutva promotes a way of life which is against the progress and development
of the nation. Its backward-looking character is epitomised in the nostalgia for a so-called Vedic
Golden Age in some mythical past, which it tries to emulate. Hindutva ideology is originated and
controlled by the Hindu high caste elites who are also its major beneficiaries. Hindutva
manipulates the masses through propaganda, diffusion of myths, Big Lies and demonization
of its opponents. It politicises religion, perpetuates caste system, gender discrimination and
Brahmanical hegemony, and demonstrates little interest in social reforms. Hence Hindutva
operates on a regressive, backward looking and negative ideology. It is detrimental to the
progress of India, both on account of the kind of philosophy it advocates and the method it
employs in order to achieve its objectives. But if India dreams of progress, development and
prosperity, it also needs an ideology that will enable it to achieve these goals. But it is
unthinkable as long as Hinduva dominates the Indian life and thought, and functions like the
opium of the people. Hindutva is a cancer that can eat up Hinduism. It can destroy this nation
from within. However, the answer to the problem of Hindutva is critical reasoning, scientific
temper and authentic secularism. It is gratifying to note that some of the best critics of Hindutva
have come from scholars and intellectuals who are themselves Hindus.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Badri, Narayan. In Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation. Sage
India, 2009.
Huffer, Amanda J. "Hinduism Without Religion: Ammas Movement in America."
Association for Religion and Intellectual Life, 2011: 374-398.
Parvathy, A.A. Hindutva, Ideology and Politics (Manglore 2003) pp. 155. Manglore:
Parvathy Appaiah, 2003.
Walter K. Andersen, Shridhar D. Damle. The brotherhood in saffron: the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu revivalism. WestView Press, 1987.

Journals

Hansen, Thomas Blom. "The Saffron Wave: Democracy and Hindu Nationalism in
Modern India." Princeton University Press, 1999: 328.
Kaur, Kulbir. "Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron politics and dalit mobilization by Badri
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Articles

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Documentary or Vedio Source-

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 Rohith Vemula about Hinduism Video. Performed by Rohith Vermula. 2016.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji0JJGvu-oo)
Part 2 of 2 BJP Supports Saffron terror of RSS Sting Operation
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOUc3JDNa5Q)
RSS, BJP Want to Saffronise India : Azam Khan ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OmWeG-WgVec)

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