Hindu Nationalism and Democracy

Hindu Nationalism and Demoracy examines the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as one of the dominant forces within Indian politics. The ideology of the party is analyzed as a form of religious nationalism, with possible strains in its relation to the religious minorities of India. The book focuses on the position of the BJP in relation to two issues with major importance within Indian politics: Uniform Civil Code – Shah Bano case and controversy in Ayodhya. Both issues have been studied on a national level and in a local study conducted in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. On a theoretical level the book draws upon the discourse of nationalism theory. It also discusses the position of the BJP on minority versus majority rights in relation to the debate between liberals and communitarians, where the latter is a reaction against the liberal ideal of a neutral state, instead suggesting a political theory based on the specific values and traditions of each community. The party’s position in the Shah Bano case and the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi controversy is best described as mono-communitarian, emphasizing Hindu supremacy at the expense of minority rights.