Hindu Nationalists of Modern India : A Critical Study of the Intellectual Genealogy of Hindutva

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Swami Dayananda Saraswati as a Hindu fundamentalist and nationalist. 2. Ambivalence, contradictions and religious intolerance in Swami Vivekananda. 3. Bal Gangadhar Tilak's Rationalisation of Violence through the Interpretation of the Gita. 4. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as a Narrow Visionary and a Hindutva Hardliner. 5. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar on Hindu Rashtra, Indian Muslims and Christians. 6. Sita Ram Goel's Maligning of Jesus Christ and Christianity. Conclusion. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

"This book is a critical study of six selected Hindu nationalists of modern India - Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1824-1883), Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966), Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (1906-1973) and Sita Ram Goel (1921-2003) -- in order to trace the intellectual genealogy of Hindu cultural nationalism and fundamentalism. Behind each of these there is a dark and hidden history of religious fundamentalism, fanaticism, narrow-minded nationalism, anti-minoritism, anti-secularism and intolerance. But, unfortunately, this is not always known to the people. The present study is an attempt to highlight these less known facts, and also demonstrate that contemporary Hindu cultural nationalism and fundamentalism have their ideological roots in the past.

This book will be of interest not only to students, academicians and scholars but also to those who wish to know the facts relating to the rise of certain Hindu nationalist and fundamentalist organisations, political parties, groups, movements and associations, their methods of mass mobilisation and indoctrination, their anti-minority syndrome and militant orientations manifested especially in their attitude towards the Indian Christians and Muslims." (jacket)