Hindutva

Hindutva is a Hindu nationalist political ideology. Formulated by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in Essentials of Hindutva in 1923, it is primarily espoused by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and other organisations collectively known as the Sangh Parivar. Borrowing ideas and concepts from European fascism, the Hindutva movement engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during the interwar period and the Second World War. Hindutva has been described as a variant of right-wing extremism and as "almost fascist in the classical sense", adhering to a concept of homogenised majority and cultural hegemony. Some analysts dispute the identification of Hindutva with fascism and suggest that Hindutva is an extreme form of conservatism or ethnic nationalism. Proponents of Hindutva, particularly its early ideologues, have used political rhetoric and sometimes misinformation to justify the idea of a Hindu state. This movement has often been criticised for misusing Hindu religious sentiments to divide people along communal lines and for distorting the inclusive and pluralistic nature of Hinduism for political gains.