Was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar a conservative? Exploring this question, this article by Chandravir Pandey delves into Savarkar's concept of Hindutva, and its alignment with conservative principles. The essay also examines the paradoxes in labeling Savarkar a conservative, given his revolutionary zeal and progressive ideas.
In the second part, Dr. Pingali Gopal discusses the evolution of political Hindutva after independence, and sheds light on the failure to define the basic terms as we struggle with the alleged rise of ‘Hindu fundamentalism'.
Who exactly is a ‘Hindu’ and what are ‘Hinduism’ and ‘Hindutva’? Does it mean the land (geography), ancestral roots (history), or a shared culture?
Dr. Pingali Gopal tackles this proverbial bull by the horns, systematically looking at attempts to define and distinguish ‘Hinduism’ and ‘Hindutva’ by Western thought, the Indian liberal elite, and practising Hindus.
The attempt to annihilate the Hindus and their civilization may count as the longest contract of its kind in history with the largest infrastructure, labour and patience.
The civilizational ethos of this land which is rooted in Hindutva is the only reason Indic culture has survived.
The BJP's rudimentary understanding of the war for territory may come back to haunt them later.
The portrayal of RSS and "Hindu Nationalism" in Western media has changed a little over the last couple of decades but the credit for the same does not go to the RSS itself, which remains indifferent to such challenges as before.