Nissim Mannathukkaren, "Hindu Nationalism in South India: The Rise of Saffron in Kerala" (Routledge, 2024)
Dec 9, 2024
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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.
The rise of Hindu nationalism in Kerala signifies a shift in its political landscape, challenging the narrative of Kerala as an exception in Indian politics.
The concept of Neo-Hindutva illustrates how Hindu nationalism adapts regionally, employing both hard and soft strategies to engage with local cultural identities.
Deep dives
The Rise of Hindu Nationalism in Kerala
Hindu nationalism has historically been perceived as a movement primarily concentrated in Northern India, but recent developments in Kerala challenge this narrative. Kerala has been overlooked in academic discourse despite its political landscape indicating a shift towards Hindu nationalism, which previously seemed impossible in this region. The unique socio-political context of Kerala, marked by significant religious pluralism and a strong history of political opposition to Hindu nationalism, is beginning to change as the narrative surrounding Hindu nationalism evolves. The edited volume aims to highlight these developments, dispelling the myth of Kerala as an exception and capturing the nuanced ideological growth of Hindu nationalism in the state.
Electoral Success and the Marginalization of Southern India
The academic focus on Hindu nationalism in India has largely been dictated by electoral success, centering on the northern states where the movement gained significant traction. Southern India, and Kerala in particular, has remained on the periphery of this discussion, primarily due to the perceived electoral weakness of Hindu nationalist movements in the region. The book emphasizes that understanding Hindu nationalism requires a departure from solely electoral considerations, advocating for a deeper analysis of its cultural implications and diverse regional expressions. This shift aims to encourage more scholarship on southern India, aiming for a comprehensive understanding of the patterns and dynamics of Hindu nationalism in contrast to its northern counterpart.
Regional Nuances in Hindu Nationalism
Hindu nationalism operates differently across various regions in India, influenced by local cultural, linguistic, and historical contexts. In Kerala, for example, practices like cow vigilantism face significant resistance due to the state's cultural identity, where beef consumption is common across religious lines. This context creates a unique social fabric that discourages violence as a primary method for advancing Hindu nationalism. The edited volume highlights these regional realities, illustrating that while Hindu nationalism may be gaining ground in Kerala, it cannot simply replicate the methods seen in the north but must adapt to the local context to thrive.
Neo-Hindutva: The Soft and Hard Approaches
The concept of Neo-Hindutva encompasses the evolving strategies of Hindu nationalism as it adapts to different local contexts, manifesting in both hard and soft approaches. The hard version is marked by the use of violence and intimidation, while soft Hindutva focuses on promoting Hindu values in a more peaceful manner, aiming to build a cultural identity without direct political confrontation. The emergence of soft Hindutva in regions like Kerala suggests that Hindu nationalism is diversifying beyond its traditional frameworks. This duality in approach allows Hindu nationalists to engage with broader segments of the population and foster a new consciousness around Hindu identity that resonates culturally rather than politically.
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).