Context
- Hindu religion is under constant attack from Islam, Christianity and successors - involving desecration of temples, killing of holy sages, abduction and forced conversion, banning of rituals and “superstition”, negative propaganda about it’s philosophy etc..
- Hindutva is vilified by a variety of people, ranging from Western indologists, news rags and even neo-pagans.
Summaries of Hindutva
Hindutva = Hinduness. Hindutva = Hinduism that resists bigotry, hatred & attacks against Hinduism & Hindus. Hindutva is a word weaponized by bigots to attack Hindus & hide their hatred & bigotry. They want Hindus to reject their Hinduness & not resist bigotry & hatred against them.
- Jonathan West.
Why is the religion of Christians Christianity whereas that of Hindus Hinduism, or Jains Jainism etc? We should deny that Christian exception. Plus, Hindutva, by grammar, means the essence of being a Hindu, and is therefore an apt native translation for a fallacious Hinduism.
- Sarvesh Tiwari
Hindutva : Philosophy of those Hindus who refuse to bend over and be meekly butchered!
- Shefali Vaidya
“even though Hindutva may appear corny to the elite it is an upwelling of the India’s true spirit- the Americans know it and are trying to stanch it. … What is missing is a proper Hindu elite and a leadership emerging from it. So all Hindus should realize that Hindutva is doing the dog’s work of guarding the pasture. Rather than spit on the watch dog the elite must learn to work along with it… The elite has to complement Hindutva rather than combatting it.” - MT
US = cultivated liberalism over fundamentally illiberal base. Hindutva = cultivated hardening over liberal base.
- parikramaH
Some primary sources
There are various shades of “Hindutva” - each of which merits being understood in its own terms.
- Late Guru Golwalkar, leader of “Hindu nationalist” org RSS on Islamic, Christian and marxist threats to Hindus and their homeland in his book here.
- Mohan bhAgavat, former RSS head, in 2021 quite categorically clarifies that this is the age of democracy and we do not fight for Hindu supremacy and that neither should anyone fight for Muslim supremacy. (YT, TW)
- VD Savarkar, a revered former British political prisoner, who popularized the term Hindutva in his book “Hindutva” - essential implications.