Democracy and Hindu nationalism

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between Hindu nationalism, democracy and processes of expanding democratization in India. It considers important incommensurabilities in the way the Indian state, secularism, nationalism and democracy have been characterized. These provide insight into objective conditions for the rise of Hindu nationalism. The fears among secular, liberal and democratic sensibilities regarding Hindu nationalist authoritarian governance, as well as possible objective constraints on Hindutva ambitions, are explored. Hindu nationalism has attempted to transform entirely the meanings of liberalism, secularism and democracy. The article therefore considers whether unfettered Hindu nationalist governance and secular liberal democracy are in principle compatible