What Is Hindutva?
Distinguishing Political Ideology from Religious Faith
Political Ideology vs. Religion
Hindutva is a modern political project, distinct from the religion of Hinduism. It frames Hindus not as a religious community, but as a distinct race and nation whose culture must dominate the state.
The Origin: V.D. Savarkar (1923)
Formally codified in Essentials of Hindutva. Savarkar, an atheist, argued that India is the exclusive homeland of Hindus, defining “Hinduness” by geography and ancestry rather than theology.
Goal: The Hindu Rashtra
The objective is to transform India from a secular democracy into a Hindu Ethnostate where religious minorities are treated as second-class citizens or “foreigners.”
Fascist Influences
Early ideologues drew direct inspiration from European fascism, adopting concepts of racial purity and the need for a “common foe” to consolidate national unity.
“Hindutva is not identical with what is vaguely indicated by the term Hinduism… Hindutva embraces all the departments of thought and activity of the whole Being of our Hindu race.”
— V.D. Savarkar
Core Tenet: “Pitribhumi & Punyabhumi”
A true Indian must view India as both their Fatherland and Holy Land.
Indian Muslim American Movement