The Birth of Hindu Nationalism Vajpayee was born in 1924, but Choudhary’s account begins earlier, with the early history of Hindu nationalism. Accordingly, colonialism and Christian proselytism were seen by Saraswati and Arya Samajists as a twin threat to “Hindu civilization.” Hindu Sabhas, or Hindu Associations, on the other hand, were organized by Hindu elites in response to another perceived threat. In response, from 1907 onward, Hindu Sabhas began to form throughout India, eventually culminating in the formation of the All India Hindu Sabha, or Hindu Mahasabha, in 1915. Although he never explicitly names Muslims, Vajpayee pits a peaceful, pious Hindu identity against a foreign Other. The present-day Hindu right harbors similar admiration: amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, Hindu leaders in India are cautioning against a Palestinian uprising in Indian streets and villages — a veiled reference to the Islamophobic trope that Indian Muslims pose a threat to Hindu women and Hindu prosperity.

Source: The Hindu July 26, 2024 19:32 UTC