Raising the Saffron Flag: The Influence of Hindu tradition in Indian Politics.
Although the separation between politics and religion is essential to maintaining societal
harmony, faith holds immense influence in contemporary politics. The detrimental impacts of
governing a state based on religious sentiments are evident in the world's largest democracy, India.
This paper addresses the effects of Hindu tradition in modern Indian politics and discusses the use
of religion to serve extremist agendas. Despite having a message for peace and unity, Hinduism
has been manipulated to radicalize Indian politics, as shown by the narrow interpretation of Hindu
text and deities, the emergence of Hindu extremism and the threat to the secular aspects of the
Indian Constitution. The ruling political party, which has ties to Hindu nationalist organizations,
has used their strict understanding of Hinduism to generate support among the Hindu population
in India.
The narrow interpretations of Hinduism include using sacred text and Hindu deities' names
in political movements, which is done to weaponize Hinduism. Ramayana, a holy poem describing
the battle between Rama and Ravana, has been used to legitimize extremism against religious
minorities (Bhosale 2014, 421). The first interpretation is evident in the politicians who believe in
the Hindu nationalist movement, emphasizing the righteousness of Rama killing Ravana. Political
campaigns have glorified violence in Ramayana and attempted to compare it to the atrocities
committed against non-Hindu citizens. The notion of this comparison came from the discussions
held by V.D. Savarkar, the founder of Hindutva (Bhosale 2014, 421). The second interpretation
includes using the notion of Rama seeking vengeance and retribution through brutality to motivate
violent extremist movements which believe in the idea of non-Hindu citizens being a threat to the
holy land. Extremist organizations have spread the idea of terrorizing religious minorities in the
region as the battle between good and evil, depicting the Ramayana. The legends of Hindu deities,
including Rama, have been used in political movements and banners. Extremist events, for
instance, the demolition of the Babri mosque, were instigated by the same notion of good vs evil.
In Hindu mythology, the location of the Babri mosque is considered the birthplace of Rama, and
extremists believe it is the responsibility of Hindus to take control of the place (Deshmukh 2021,
318). The site, holding both Hindu and Muslim significance, has been a subject of interest in Indian
politics. The dispute over the land prompted deadly riots and clashes between Indian Muslims and
Hindus, which were usually encouraged by local politicians. The current government has approved
the sole construction of a temple to gain popularity among the Hindu demographic in the region
which has raised questions about India's secular constitution. In contrast to the extremist portrayal
of Hinduism, the broader original narration views Rama as a symbol of self-suffering and sacrifice.
The authentic interpretation of the text, which illustrates the importance of societal harmony and
inclusivity, has been used by different sectarian Hindu groups to generate a varied response to the
current issues. Despite the disagreement over the location of the Babri mosque, the area was an
example of the government's secular approach; however, today, the recently constructed temple
represents extremism in Indian politics (Deshmukh 2021, 318).
The emergence of Hindu extremism is deeply rooted in the concept of Hindutva. It has
initiated the violation of human rights and normalizing discriminatory practices. Hindutva believes
India solely belongs to the Hindu race and that individuals from other traditions would not commit
to the state (Bhosale 2014, 422). Hindutva also considers that in the past, Hindus have been treated
unjustly by Muslims (Bhosale 2014, 422). In the contemporary context, Hindutva has been a
political tool used to incite violence and create instability in the region. The narrative of Hindutva
appeals to the emotion of Hindus by manipulating religious text, which is evident in the inaccurate
interpretation of Ramayana. The ideology implies that Hindus are morally obligated to drag their
land back to its Hindu roots through oppression and violence against religious minorities
(Deshmukh 2021, 320). The ideals of Hindutva have been strictly followed in governing the
country. The extremist policies presented by Indian politicians are evident in the violation of
human rights in government-promoted communal violence (Deshmukh 2021, 325). The incidents
of communal violence were part of a more extensive government scheme to target minorities.
Following these incidents, Indian politicians accused Muslims of provoking terror and introduced
the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (Deshmukh 2021, 326). The law's introduction witnessed
approximately 280 arrests of Muslim citizens; most had no criminal history and were interrogated
without lawyers (Deshmukh 2021, 326). The blatant abuse of power by officials disregarded the
constitutional rights of Indian Muslims and initiated the normalization of religious extremism
within government institutions, including discriminatory hiring and admission policies in civil
services and unlawful arrests of non-Hindu citizens (Deshmukh 2021, 326). The emergence of
Hindu extremism has also pushed India towards conservative viewpoints, which include the
condemnation of homosexuality.
In the aspect of homosexuality, extremists directly contradict the ideals of Hinduism, which
widely accepts different sexualities. This is evident in the mention of homosexuality in various
religious texts, for example, Kamasutra (Ramasubban 2008, 36). Despite the recent improvements
in gay rights, the emergence of extremism is pushing back the advancements. In the court of law,
homosexual relationships are no longer illegal, but the problem lies in the court of public opinion.
The effect of public opinion is evident in the discrimination witnessed by the gay community
(Ramasubban 2008, 27). Regarding homosexuality, the Hindu extremists are replacing the liberal
views of Hinduism with the conservative view of Indian culture. Furthermore, the emergence of
Hindu extremism has directly threatened the secular Indian constitution.
Modern India is witnessing a threat to the secular aspects of the constitution as the
government is pushing toward building an absolute Hindu society through laws that target religious
minorities. Since coming into power, India's ruling party, the BJP, has been fixated on building an
absolute Hindu society (Nizaruddin 2020, 727). In contrast to previous secular governments, the
BJP has failed to condemn Hindu supremacist groups like the RSS (Nizaruddin 2020, 727). The
acceptance of Hindu supremacist groups within the Indian government indicates the acceptance of
extremist approaches, which include hate speech and organized assembly of extremists. Because
of such tolerance toward Hindu extremism, it would be reasonable to assume that the current Indian
government is shifting from the secular values upon which the country was founded. Furthermore,
the construction of an absolute Hindu society resonates with the emergence of new legislation that
targets religious minorities. The introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) speeds up
the path to Indian citizenship for individuals coming from a Hindu racial background (Nizaruddin
2020, 726). The existence of this law speaks volumes in terms of the government's intention of
shifting from a secular society to a pure Hindu society. The CAA builds the framework of systemic
discrimination against non-Hindu refugees and migrants in India. Furthermore, the BJP has also
radicalized the secular aspects of the constitution by declassifying the citizenship of Muslim
Indians through the National Register of Citizens (Nizaruddin 2020, 726). The practice of
declassifying Muslims aligns with the ideals of Hindutva, which views non-Hindus as a threat to
the Indian culture and implies that the Indian society should be purified from them. However,
numerous individuals and groups in the Hindu tradition have responded to the emergence of Hindu
extremism in Indian politics. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi, a devout Hindu, fought for the
secular aspects of the constitution and attempted to unify Indian Hindus and Muslims (Bhosale
2014, 421).
In short, Indian politics has been radicalized by the wrongful use of the Hindu tradition.
With indisputable institutional support, extremist views have been pushed into the hearts of most
Indians. In its current form, Indian politics does not align with the ideals of the Hindu tradition,
which include integrity, courage, and sacrifice, none of which is seen in the action of Indian
politicians.
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