J&K politician and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti has been criticised by BJP affiliated politicians and groups for having described Hindutva as a disease. They have interpreted it as a derogatory reference to Hinduism, much like what DMK dynast Udhayanidhi Stalin has said. But there is a difference – Hinduism is a ‘way of life’ with deep civilisational roots that is considered a religion in the modern sense of the term. The practice of this belief system is enormously varied and diverse. On the other hand, Hindutva is a political ideology that takes inspiration from Hinduism but has more to do with the exercise of power than the spiritual quest. It has inspired many movements, be it the ‘character-building’ effort of the RSS, the VHP’s desire to reclaim the glory of Hindu temples, as also the BJP’s concept of ‘nationalism’.
While the average Hindutva activist may be unable to make the distinction, it is expected of erudite scholars such as BJP MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi to come up with a more nuanced response than merely describing it as the ‘habitual lack of respect for Hinduism’. By doing so, he reveals that even one of his intellectual calibre is willing to blur the lines of truth for the sake of politics. That takes the edge off his much more significant interventions on behalf of his party.
While political criticism, no matter how harsh, of Hindutva is certainly valid, particularly as it is the dominant ideology in the present, it is wrong to equate it with the extremism practiced by the Jihadis, Maoists, Naxalites, etc. It does not promote acts of terrorism, although there has been unacceptable vigilantism practiced on occasion by its followers. It deeply rejects the country’s partition and, as a consequence, promotes the ‘Akhand Bharat’ objective. The demonisation of Veer Savarkar by the ‘secularists’ is also a red flag.
To the extent that Muslims feel specially targeted by this ideology, they have every right to oppose it through debate and the EVM. But for them to consider it a religious battle and a clash of identities closes the door for them in terms of options. The years of BJP rule, under former PM Vajpayee and current PM Modi, have not witnessed any discriminatory policies practiced against them. The test is that of ‘nation first’, which should not be so hard for anyone to clear.
