The relationship between religion and nationalism is explored in this paper which takes Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as its core focus of analysis. Given the incomplete process of nation-building in the case of India and the intrinsic challenge of how to cultivate a nationalism when the sense of a nation and nationality is lacking, Nandy discusses Savarkar's idea of Hindutva and the use of religion as a vehicle of nation-building. This, despite Savarkar's being a non-believer. Nandy explores parallels with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, whose project of nation and state-building is also seen in terms of political categories that were drawn from the Western experience and ideal of the Westphalian state. Exploring the love-hate relationship with Savarkar that is prevalent in contemporary India, Nandy probes the concerted attempt to demonise Savarkar and asks whether this is yet another means by which a young nation seeks to exorcise its past? This is an abridged version of a public lecture given to the Cluster of Excellence, Asia and Europe in a Global Context, the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, on 23 October 2008Professor Ashis Nandy is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi.With Regards Abi  Knowledge is the best gift, and manner is the best transaction - Ali --- On Tue, 3/10/09, John Ishvaradas Abdallah <sufisays@yahoo.com> wrote: From: John Ishvaradas Abdallah <sufisays@yahoo.com> |
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