Senior RSS leader J Nandakumar, in Hindutva for the Changing Times, states that Hindutva (Hindu-ness) is the apt expression that captures the spiritual, intellectual, religious, philosophical and political dimensions of the millennia-old Dharmic civilization. The book will interest academicians, political thinkers, sociologists and intellectuals, as it is the first time that an RSS leader has attempted to analyze topics such as Multiculturalism versus Hindu Universalism, Cultural Marxism, Environmentalism, Dataism through the Hindutva prism. He states Hindu Rashtra will remain the unchanging core of the RSS. Vedic scholar David Frawley has written the foreword for this thought-provoking book.
An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. The Hindus brings a fascinating multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant and creative thinkers have kept Hinduism alive in ways that other scholars have not fully explored. In this unique and authoritative account, debates about Hindu traditions become platforms to consider history as a whole.
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest and greatest religious traditions. In captivating prose, Shashi Tharoor untangles its origins, its key philosophical concepts and texts. He explores everyday Hindu beliefs and practices, from worship to pilgrimage to caste, and touchingly reflects on his personal beliefs and relationship with the religion. Not one to shy from controversy, Tharoor is unsparing in his criticism of 'Hindutva', an extremist, nationalist Hinduism endorsed by India's current government. He argues urgently and persuasively that it is precisely because of Hinduism's rich diversity that India has survived and thrived as a plural, secular nation. If narrow fundamentalism wins out, Indian democracy itself is in peril.
Founded in 1925, banned three times by the governments of independent India but with a widespread network of thousands of local branches and millions of volunteers, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) presence and influence is formidable. However, it has long been acknowledged that the best way to know the RSS is to join it. Perhaps, this is why there is very little literature on how it functions. As a senior member who has managed various responsibilities in the RSS over the years, Ratan Sharda reveals the supposedly secret world of this volunteer organisation. He presents a comprehensive view of the Sangh's philosophy, its workings and its humungous reach through various organisations inspired by it across India in a simple and easy-flowing manner, sprinkled with interesting anecdotes. With an insider's knowledge of the philosophy, organisational structure and working of this huge cadre-based organisation, RSS 360o is a compelling read, attempting to lift the alleged veil of secrecy that shrouds the organisation.
A riveting account of how a popularly elected leader has steered the world's largest democracy toward authoritarianism and intolerance Over the past two decades, thanks to Narendra Modi, Hindu nationalism has been coupled with a form of national-populism that has ensured its success at the polls, first in Gujarat and then in India at large. Modi managed to seduce a substantial number of citizens by promising them development and polarizing the electorate along ethno-religious lines. Both facets of this national-populism found expression in a highly personalized political style as Modi related directly to the voters through all kinds of channels of communication in order to saturate the public space. Drawing on original interviews conducted across India, Christophe Jaffrelot shows how Modi's government has moved India toward a new form of democracy, an ethnic democracy that equates the majoritarian community with the nation and relegates Muslims and Christians to second-class citizens who are harassed by vigilante groups. He discusses how the promotion of Hindu nationalism has resulted in attacks against secularists, intellectuals, universities, and NGOs. Jaffrelot explains how the political system of India has acquired authoritarian features for other reasons, too. Eager to govern not only in New Delhi, but also in the states, the government has centralized power at the expense of federalism and undermined institutions that were part of the checks and balances, including India's Supreme Court. Modi's India is a sobering account of how a once-vibrant democracy can go wrong when a government backed by popular consent suppresses dissent while growing increasingly intolerant of ethnic and religious minorities.
In the twenty-first century, there has been a seismic shift in Indian political, religious and social life. The country’s guiding spirit was formerly a fusion of the anti-caste worldview of B.R. Ambedkar; the inclusive Hinduism of Mahatma Gandhi; and the agnostic secularism of Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, that fusion has given way to Hindutva. This now-dominant version of Hinduism blends the militant nationalism of V.D. Savarkar; the Brahmanical anti-minorityism of M.S. Golwalkar; and the global Islamophobia of India’s ruling regime. It requires deep cultural analysis and historical understanding, as only the sharpest and most profoundly informed historian can provide. For two decades, Tanika Sarkar has forged a path through the alleys and byways of Hindutva. She has trawled through the writing and iconography of its organisations and institutions, including RSS schools and VHP temples. She has visited the offices and homes of Hindutva’s votaries, interviewing men and women who believe fervently in their mission of Hinduising India. And she has contextualised this new ferment on the ground with her formidable archival knowledge of Hindutva’s origins and development over 150 years, from Bankimchandra to the Babri mosque and beyond. This riveting book connects Hindu religious nationalism with the cultural politics of everyday India.
While America is focused on religious militancy and terrorism in the Middle East, democracy has been under siege from religious extremism in another critical part of the world. As Nussbaum reveals in this penetrating look at India today, the forces of the Hindu right pose a disturbing threat to its democratic traditions and secular state. Nussbaum's long-standing professional relationship with India makes her an excellent guide to its recent history.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) continues to make headlines, despite several books tracing its journey. Curiosity about the functioning of the RSS has increased phenomenally as swayamsevaks have risen to top positions in government and the Sangh's core ideas of Hindu Rashtra and Ekatmata have become the mainstream lexicon of our social and political space.
