Nissim Mannathukkaren, "Hindu Nationalism in South India: The Rise of Saffron in Kerala" (Routledge, 2024)

Dec 9, 2024

Nissim Mannathukkaren, a professor known for his research on left movements and the politics of popular culture, delves into the unexpected rise of Hindu nationalism in Kerala. He challenges the assumption that the state is immune to such ideologies, exploring historical and cultural factors shaping this complex landscape. The discussion highlights Kerala's unique religious dynamics, the rise of neo-Hindutva, and how local responses reflect a resistance to dominant narratives. Mannathukkaren calls for deeper studies on the electoral and cultural implications of these shifts.

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INSIGHT

Focus on South India

Hindu nationalism studies primarily focus on North India due to its historical prevalence there and electoral successes.
This book aims to address the lack of scholarship on Hindu nationalism in South India, particularly Kerala.

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Regional Nuances in Kerala

Hindu nationalism in Kerala differs from North India, as violence isn't the primary mode of advancement. Cow vigilantism won't gain traction because beef consumption is common across religions.

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Neo-Hindutva: Hard vs. Soft

Neo-Hindutva adapts to local contexts, operating beyond the Sangh Parivar's framework.
It includes both hard and soft versions, with the latter focusing on non-violent spread of Hindu values.

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Hindu Nationalism in South India: The Rise of Saffron in Kerala (Routledge, 2024) engages with a range of factors that shapes the trajectory of Hindu nationalism in Kerala, the southern state of India. Until recently, Kerala was considered a socio-political exception which had no room for Hindu nationalism. This book questions such Panglossian prognosis and shows the need to map the ideological and political growth of Hindu nationalism which has been downplayed in the academic discourse as temporary aberrations. The introduction to the book places Kerala in the context of South India. Arguing that Hindutva is a real force which needs to be contended within theoretical and empirical terms, the chapters in this book examine Hindu nationalism in Kerala in relation to themes such as history, caste, culture, post-truth, ideology, gender, politics, and the Indian national space. Considering the rise of Hindu nationalism in the recent years, this pioneering book will be of interest to a students and academics studying Politics, in particular Nationalism, Asian Politics and Religion and Politics and South Asian Studies.

Professor Mannathukkaren’s main research interests are focused on left/communist movements, development and democracy, modernity, the politics of popular culture (esp., the politics of mass cultural forms like the media, cinema and sport), and Marxist and postcolonial theories. The thrust of his research has been to develop a theoretical and empirical critique of postcolonial theory and postmodern thought. At the same time, he has argued for a dialogue with postmodern-inspired frameworks of knowledge and to creatively integrate them to overcome the serious deficiencies of many modernist understandings of human social reality (which have translated into arrogant and teleological assumptions).

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