HINDUTVA

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HINDUTVA

NAME- IVANIA SINGH


COURSE- B.A. HISTORY HONS.
PAPER-
Critically examine the essentials of hindutva by Savarkar.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born in 1883, in a small village near Nasik in
Baghur, Maharashtra, into a Chitpavan Brahmin family. His father, Damodar,
was a devout Hindu who raised his family in the manner of a holy Sanatan
Hindu family. Savarkar's mother's name was Radhabai and he had four siblings.
Savarkar grew up in a religious family with a devout and devoted mother and
father and as a youth came into contact with great texts such as the
Mahabharata and Ramayana. Savarkar was familiar with many Hindu epic
heroes. V.D. Savarkar was a leading thinker of the Indian Renaissance.
His early thought was influenced by Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, a realist scholar.
Savarkar was a strong supporter of social reform, urging Hindus to accept
modern practises based on science and logic and reject rigid concepts and
rituals that hindered social progress. Savarkar required Hindus to reject the
ignorant religion in the Vedas and customs to gain monetary power. They must
respect the unmatched quality of machines and technology, breaking all
religious and customary obligations. It is the responsibility of Hindus to
eliminate all the flaws in their society to emerge as a stable nation on earth.
According to Savarkar, social change, realism, and science were essential for
the advancement of a Hindu society so that it could acquire the necessary
strength. He claimed that in today's world, the country is recognised as a viable
entity for individuals. There was fierce fighting and competition among
different countries of the world over the concerns of global governance.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's political thought was influenced by the
circumstances and social challenges of the freedom movement. Two sides of
Savarkar's view are visible. First, when he propounds a revolutionary ideology
and plays an active role in the freedom movement, at the same time as a
second thought, he establishes the Hindutva ideology while supporting
religious and spiritual nationalism.
THE CONCEPT OF HINDUTVA
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, commonly known as V.D. Savarkar, was a prominent
figure in the Indian independence movement and a leading proponent of
Hindutva ideology. Hindutva, as conceived by Savarkar, is a complex and
multifaceted ideology that encompasses political, cultural, and social
dimensions. The main principles and objectives of Savarkar's ideology of
Hindutva can be understood through several key themes.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Hindutva is "Originally: the
state or quality of being Hindu; ‘Hinduness’. Now: an ideology advocating, or
movement seeking to establish, the hegemony of Hindus and Hinduism within
India; Hindu nationalism." Its etymology, according to the OED, is: "from
modern Sanskrit hindutva (Hindu qualities, Hindu identity) from hindu (from
Hindi hindū) + classical Sanskrit -tva , suffix forming abstract nouns, after Hindi
hindupan, in the same sense."
For Savarkar, Hindutva implied not only the spiritual or the religious experience
of Hindus, but the essentials of their whole way of life, hopes and aspirations. It
embraced all the manifestations of thought and activity of the entire Hindu
race. The character of Hindutva has been shaped by prophets and poets,
lawyers and law-givers, heroes and historians for forty centuries, if not more.
Savarkar gave a clarion call for Hindu resurrection as he believed in the cultural
superiority of Hindus.
PRINCIPLES OF HINDUTVA
One of the central principles of Hindutva is cultural nationalism, which asserts
that India is essentially a Hindu nation with a distinct cultural identity. Savarkar
argued for the preservation and promotion of Hindu culture, values, and
traditions as the foundation of Indian society. He believed that the cultural
unity of Hindus formed the basis for national unity and the collective identity of
the Indian nation. A Hindu means a person who regards this land of
Bharatvarsha, from the Indus to the seas, as his Fatherland (Pitribhumi) as well
as his Holyland (Punyabhumi), that is the cradle land of his religion
Savarkar emphasized the importance of national unity and integrity in the face
of various external and internal challenges. He sought to foster a sense of pride
and loyalty towards the nation among Hindus, with the objective of creating a
strong and united India. Savarkar believed that a united Hindu society was
essential for the defense and well-being of the nation.
Savarkar advocated for Hinduness as a political identity that transcends
religious beliefs and encompasses all those who consider India as their
motherland. According to him, being a Hindu was not limited to religious
practices but extended to the acceptance of India as one's homeland and the
willingness to work for the nation's welfare and progress. Savarkar aimed to
unite Hindus across various social divisions under a common political identity.
Savarkar emphasized the need for Hindus to assert their interests in the
political sphere. He argued for the active participation of Hindus in politics to
protect and promote their rights and interests. According to him, the political
power of Hindus should be utilized to safeguard their cultural, social, and
economic interests and to counter any perceived threats to the Hindu
community.
Savarkar emphasized the defense and protection of the nation from external
threats and internal disintegration. He called for a strong and self-reliant India
that could safeguard its borders, maintain its sovereignty, and withstand
challenges to its integrity. Savarkar believed in the importance of a strong
military defense and the development of a nationalistic spirit among Hindus.
Savarkar called for a Hindu renaissance, emphasizing the need for the revival
and rejuvenation of Hindu society. He aimed to address social, educational, and
economic issues within the Hindu community and promote social reforms.
Savarkar believed that a reinvigorated Hindu society would contribute to the
overall progress and development of the nation.
For Savarkar, Hindutva emphasized the Hindu identity as the core of Indian
civilization and culture. He believed that Hinduism provided the foundation of
Indian society, history, and ethos. Savarkar argued that being a Hindu was not
solely about religious beliefs but also about identifying with the cultural,
linguistic, and historical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Savarkar's
understanding of Hindutva went beyond religious boundaries. He considered
all those who considered India as their motherland and had a sense of
belonging to the Indian nation as Hindus. Savarkar viewed Hindutva as an
inclusive nationalism that encompassed Hindus as well as Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains, and others who identified with the Indian culture and heritage. Savarkar
emphasized the cultural unity of Hindus as a defining aspect of Hindutva. He
believed that Hindu culture provided the common thread that unified the
diverse regional, linguistic, and ethnic groups within India. Savarkar considered
this cultural unity essential for national integration and the formation of a
strong Indian nation.
“Hindutva is not a word but a history,” he says. Savarkar remained attached to
the notion of history throughout his life as a teacher for both the present and
the future. He was a firm believer in studying history through the mirrors of
past events, especially those involving revolutions and revolutionaries. His first
major work, “The Indian War of Independence of 1857' presented a completely
new history of a very controversial event in Indian history. In it, Savarkar argues
that the Revolt of 1857 – which the British authorities classified as a “rebellion”
to reduce its political significance – was, in fact, the most important step in the
Indian fight for independence. Savarkar was a strong supporter of Hindutva and
Hindu Rashtra. He writes in his book Hindutva, “Hindu is one who considers his
father land and holy land from Indus to Kanya Kumari.” He gave three criteria
for Hindutva or being Hindu. The first criterion is to have a sense of national
and regional unity. According to him, regional or territorial proximity
communicates a feeling of unity, so a Hindu should have affection for the entire
geographical region, from the Indus to the Brahmaputra and from the
Himalayas to the Kanya Kumari. The second criterion of Hindutva—the
association of caste and blood relations—was developed in Hindus due to
which such characteristics developed in Hindus that are different from those of
Germans, Chinese, and Ethiopians. The third criterion is attachment to culture.
A person who is proud of Hindu civilization and culture is a Hindu. Thus,
Savarkar considered national or regional unity, caste, blood relations, and
culture as essential and basic elements for the development of Hindu
nationalism. The “Basics of Hinduism” state that the people should have a link
with the geography of India, either by citizenship or ancestry, as well as claim
the region as their homeland. According to Savarkar, one of the most important
facts about being a Hindu is that you only care about India. The resulting dual
allegiance of Muslims to India and Mecca, in particular, is unacceptable.
Savarkar says, “Their affection is divided,” and such a division is unbearable for
a patriot and a person committed to India. It is important to note at this point
that Savarkar's Hindutva is not a widespread rejection of non-Hindus. He says
that many former Hindus converted to Islam within a century after the Muslim
invasion of India. Savarkar gives a message of open arms and welcome to those
human beings.
Savarkar argued that the ancient and modern history of the Hindus is common.
They have friends and enemies in common. They are one in national despair
and one in national hope. They are bound together by the most intimate ties,
most sacred and most enduring bonds of a 'common Fatherland' and 'common
Holyland'. In his Presidential Address to the Hindu Mahasabha at Ahmedabad
(1937), Savarkar observed: The Hindus possess a common Holyland. The Vedic
Rishis are their common pride, their grammarians Panini and Patanjali, their
poets Bhavabhooti and Kalidas, their heroes Shri Ram and Shri Krishna, Shivaji
and Pratap, Guru Govind and Banda Bahadur are a common source of
inspiration. Their prophets Buddha and Mahaveer, Kanad and Shankar, are held
in common esteem... All tests whatsoever of a common country, race, religion,
language that go to entitle a people to form a nation, entitle the Hindus with
greater emphasis to that claim. Savarkar observed that Hindusthan had a
special fascination and significance for Hindus, not because of its unique
physical features but because of their sentimental attachment to this land. The
stones, trees and greens in Hindusthan are as good or bad as stones, trees and
greens of other countries of the world. But Hindustan is a special place for
Hindus as their Fatherland and Holyland; its history is their history; its rise and
fall is coterminous with their rise and fall.
CONCLUSION
Savarkar was strictly conservative in formulating his ideas about Hindutva. But
he was fairly progressive in setting the norms for Hindu society. On the
question of caste, he asserted that no caste should be treated as high or low.
So he encouraged intercaste marriage and intercaste dining among Hindus. Like
Swami Dayanand Saraswati before him, Savarkar also recommended Shuddhi
(Purification), that is the re-entry of Muslim and Christian converts to Hindu
fold. Moreover, Savarkar severely attacked the practice of Untouchability
among the Hindus. In short, Savarkar aimed at creating 'a classless Hindu
society' in which everyone would be socially equal to other.
However, Savarkar's mission of Hindu solidarity cannot be treated as faultless.
In his first substantial work Indian War of Independence (1908), Savarkar
recognized that in the rebellion of 1857, Hindus and Muslims had stood
together in resistance to the British, but later his faith in Hindu-Muslim unity
was diluted, as he came to advocate the rights of Hindus. He came to believe
that Swaraj could be won without the collaboration of Muslims. He even
asserted that Hindus constituted a nation; other religious denominations of
India were only 'communities' who should be content to accept an inferior
status. Now this view of Indian citizenship militates against the principles of
freedom, equality and justice which are the mainstay of modern consciousness
and human values. Even his pretensions to promote universalism fail to rectify
his stand on this crucial issue. Then it also tends to damage the rich cultural
heritage based on the composite culture of India.

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