The Politics of Soft Hindutva : How Culture Matters in Indian Politics

This book examines the rise of two contrasting variants of Hindu nationalism―the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) divisive cultural nationalism and the softer, less threatening variant of Hindutva espoused by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC). Historically, the overlaps between Hinduism and Islam bolstered the narrative that the Muslims were culturally inferior to the Hindus and that Hinduism was India’s unifying tradition. As a result, for many Hindus, emphasizing the distinctiveness of a minority group, especially the Muslims, represents a threat to Hindu superiority and India’s cultural integrity. With the rise of the BJP, AAP, and TMC, we witness a tussle between two strains of Hindu nativism. The BJP attempts to attract the Hindu vote by heightening the differences between Hindus and Muslims and portraying itself as the restorer of national integrity. The AAP and TMC revive a much older form of cultural nativism by downplaying the separateness of the Muslims, indicating that India is already a Hindu nation and that there is no need to persecute religious minorities. Comparing the two variants of cultural nationalism provides valuable insights into how culture matters in Indian politics. Acknowledgements Contents About the Authors List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction The Perception of Cultural Superiority A Threat to Hindu Superiority The BJP’s Rise Countering Hindu Majoritarianism References Part I: The Historical Roots of Soft Hindutva Chapter 2: Hinduism and Islam Intertwined The Delhi Sultanate: 1206 to 1526 The Mughal Empire: 1526 to 1857 Religious Tolerance Cultural Fusion How Hindus Perceived the Muslims Varta Literature Gaudiya Vaishnavite Literature Mangal Kavyas Prabandha Literature Egalitarian Hindu Sects References Chapter 3: Cultural Fusion and Hindu Superiority Western Secularism and Religion Indian Secularism and the Founders of Cultural Nationalism Vivekanand Dayanand Saraswati Shraddhanand M. S. Golwalkar V. D. Savarkar Deendayal Upadhyay Concluding Remarks References Chapter 4: The Politics of Cultural Integration Cultural Polarization and the Rise of the Hindu Right The Hindu Mahasabha The Bharatiya Jan Sangh The Bharatiya Janta Party Concluding Remarks References Part II: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Soft Hindutva Chapter 5: Delhi’s Cultural, Physical, and Political Map A City of Migrants: Four Waves of Migration 1857 World War II The Partition The Masterplan Class and Voting Caste and Voting Religion and Voting Delhi’s Political Landscape Concluding Remarks References Chapter 6: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Cultural Posture The Beginning Electoral Performance in the 2013 Assembly Elections Electoral Performance in the 2015 Assembly Elections Electoral Performance in the 2020 Assembly Elections The AAP’s Soft Hindutva What Do Political Observers Say About Kejriwal’s Cultural Posture? Concluding Remarks References Chapter 7: What Do the Delhiites Think About Kejriwal’s Success? Path to the 2020 Assembly Elections The 2013 Assembly Elections The 2015 Assembly Elections The 2020 Elections: What Do the Delhiites Think About Kejriwal’s Cultural Posturing? Kejriwal Is Not a Hindu Nationalist Kejriwal Is a Hindu Nationalist Kejriwal’s Cultural Posturing Is a Political Ploy What Role Did Kejriwal’s Cultural Posturing Play in His Win? Religion and Culture Played a Vital Role in Kejriwal’s Win Kejriwal’s Win Had Nothing to Do With Culture Concluding Remarks Part III: Soft Hindutva Beyond Delhi Chapter 8: The Trinamool Congress’ Soft Hindutva The 2021 Bengal Assembly Elections Bengali Identity Bengal’s Political Landscape The Rise of the Trinamool Congress How the Trinamool Congress Countered the BJP’s Divisive Propaganda in the 2021 Assembly Elections References Chapter 9: Shiv Sena’s Hard Hindutva A Brief History of the Deccan Sociocultural Reforms and the Rise of Hindu-Muslim Composite Culture Mountstuart Elphinstone Mahadev Govind Ranade Bal Gangadhar Tilak Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur Shiv Sena and Cultural Polarization The 60s and 70s The 80s and 90s The Mumbai Riots References Chapter 10: Concluding Remarks Index