Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo enacted these values through their life projects

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

The "menace of Hindutva" refers to the serious concerns and intense criticisms directed at the ethno-nationalist political ideology that aims to establish India as a Hindu-only state (or "Hindu Rashtra"), which critics argue threatens India's secular democracy, pluralistic society, and the rights of its minority populations. 

Key concerns and criticisms associated with Hindutva include:

• Marginalization of Minorities: Critics argue that Hindutva promotes Hindu supremacy, leading to the public demonization, social marginalization, and an increase in violence (including mob lynchings and hate speech) against religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians.
• Threat to Secularism and Democracy: Hindutva is described as a far-right, anti-pluralistic ideology that seeks to replace India's secular foundations with a monolithic, majoritarian state. Critics contend that this movement has contributed to the decline of Indian democracy, leading to an "electoral autocracy".
• Links to Fascism: Scholars and activists have drawn parallels between Hindutva and European fascism, pointing to its origins in early 20th-century European nationalist ideas, the paramilitary nature of its core organization (the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS), the use of a "cult of personality" around leaders like Narendra Modi, and the targeting of a "them" group to create an "us" identity.
• Rewriting History and Undermining Academia: Adherents are accused of falsifying history, promoting an "imagined" past of Hindu glory to justify present-day political goals, and attacking academic freedom. Academics and journalists critical of the ideology face harassment, threats, and censorship.
• Caste Dynamics: Some critics argue that Hindutva is a contemporary form of Brahminism that seeks to restore an upper-caste social order, thereby perpetuating and reinforcing caste-based discrimination.
• Normalizing Violence and Intolerance: The ideology is criticized for creating an atmosphere where intolerance and violence against dissenters and minorities are normalized. The use of certain chants ("Jai Shri Ram") has become associated with Hindu nationalist violence in India and even in the diaspora. 

Proponents of Hindutva, however, view it as a form of cultural nationalism aimed at cherishing Hindu traditions and protecting the country's culture from perceived external threats. They often reject accusations of fascism or anti-minority bias, framing their actions as a self-assertion of the majority community after centuries of foreign rule. Many mainstream Hindus also distance themselves from the ideology, stating it does not represent the inclusive nature of Hinduism as a religion. 

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