Hindutva as a variant of right-wing extremism

Leidig's article addresses a theoretical and empirical lacuna by analysing Hindutva using the terminology of right-wing extremism. It situates the origins of Hindutva in colonial India where it emerged through sustained interaction with ideologues in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany who, in turn,...

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Published in:Patterns of prejudice Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 215 - 237
Main Author: Leidig, Eviane
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Abingdon Routledge 26.05.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Asian studies
Bharatiya Janata Party
Campaigns
Colonialism
Concept formation
Extremism
Fascism
Hindu
Hindutva
India
Insecurity
Intellectuals
Muslim
Nation building
National identity
Nationalism
Nazism
Political development
Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Right wing politics
right-wing extremism
Sangh
Security
South Asian studies
Terminology
violence
India
ISSN:0031-322X, 1461-7331
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Leidig's article addresses a theoretical and empirical lacuna by analysing Hindutva using the terminology of right-wing extremism. It situates the origins of Hindutva in colonial India where it emerged through sustained interaction with ideologues in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany who, in turn, engaged with Hindutva to further their own ideological developments. Following India's independence, Hindutva actors played a central role in the violence of nation-building and in creating a majoritarian identity. Yet Hindutva was not truly 'mainstreamed' until the election of the current prime minister, Narendra Modi, in 2014. In order to construct a narrative that furthered Hindu insecurity, Modi mobilized his campaign by appealing to recurring themes of a Muslim 'threat' to the Hindu majority. The result is that Hindutva has become synonymous with Indian nationalism. Leidig seeks to bridge the scholarly divide between, on the one hand, the study of right-wing extremism as a field dominated by western scholars and disciplines and, on the other, the study of Hindutva as a field that is of interest almost exclusively to scholars in South Asian studies. It provides an analytical contribution towards the conceptualization of right-wing extremism as a global phenomenon.
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ISSN:0031-322X
1461-7331
DOI:10.1080/0031322X.2020.1759861