The Furies of Indian Communalism: Religion, Modernity, and SecularizationFuries of Indian Communalism is a powerful and rigorous analysis of the growing phenomenon of Hindu communalism, which currently threatens to tear India apart. Placing the politics of Hindu nationalism and anti-Muslim hatred in a global context, Vanaik explains the specific nature and modernity of communalism, distinguishing it both from fascism and from merely religious extremism. In defending both the reality and the desirability of the secularization of Indian state and society, Vanaik engages in a rich and subtle examination of the relationship between religion and culture, critically appraising the contributions of Emile Durkheim, Charles Taylor and Anthony Giddens to questions of identity and modernity. Whilst rejecting simplistic readings of religion as nothing but ideology, Vanaik is scathing about the postmodernists and cultural essentialists who assert the inescapable centrality of religion to Indian culture and society. Moving beyond purely theoretical considerations, he assesses India's political future, the possible obstacles to the development of communalism, and the forces that exist on the Left that might be brought into alliance to halt the march of chauvinism. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
anti-communal anti-secularist authoritarian Ayodhya believe bourgeois bourgeoisie Brahminism capitalism capitalist caste central centrist character Chatterjee Christianity civil society claim colonial concept Congress consciousness construction crisis critical Dalit decline Delhi democracy democratic discourse distinctive dominant economic electoral elite emergence existence faith fascism forces fundamental Gandhi Hindu communalism Hindu nationalism Hinduism Hindutva human ideology important Indian politics Indian secularism Indian society individual influence institutionalization Islam issue Jan Sangh Janata Janata Dal Madan major Marxist mass meaning modernity movement Muslim Nandy Nandy's nationalist notion of secularism organization paradigm parties personal laws perspective pluralism political Hindutva popular Pradesh pre-modern principle problem relationship religion religious identity religious systems Right Sangh Combine secularists sense significant social Social Democracy socialist specific strategy strong structure struggle Subaltern Studies term theoretical theory thesis third world tion tolerance traditional understanding Uttar Pradesh V.P. Singh values Western women