TheDaak review

Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism by Edward T.G. Anderson, C. Hurst & Co (Publishers) Ltd, London, UK, 2023, 504 pages, ISBN: 9781805260547, 216 x 138 mm, 3313 INR 

by Abir Lal Mazumder

The book introduces the development of Hindu Nationalism as an ideological construct and through the activities of myriad nationalist organizations in the countries inhabited by the Indian diaspora. It intends to explore ‘how and why this movement and ideology became popular and influential amongst India’s diaspora’ (p. 1). Another pertinent question that the author attempts to address is how the British-Hindu identity is framed between majoritarian ideology in the ‘homeland’ and securing rights to express their cultural ethos as a minority community abroad (p. 2).

Anderson unfolds his book by discussing the Indian immigrants already settled in East Africa and their tryst with both the British colonizer and the native community in these countries. Due to the ongoing practice of apartheid in those years, the native community was excluded from several public services and government sector jobs. Many of these positions were taken up by members of the Indian diaspora. The author traces the rise of Hindu Nationalism abroad to the emergence of the (Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh) RSS and the formation of overseas shakhas in Nairobi in 1947. However, in the 1950s, rallying calls to end colonialism in these countries also led to the forcible ouster of the Indian nationals. The diaspora which had lived for generations and built their community and religious associations had no choice but to use their British passports to seek refuge in the United Kingdom (UK). 

By 1977, the main overseas branch of the RSS had shifted to England’s Leicester city, a hub of Indian immigrant activities of all sorts. We are also introduced to the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) which is the international offshoot of the RSS and has similar styles of propaganda, structural elements, and goals. Additionally, the author provides revealing insights into the popularity of the RSS and the HSS in the UK. The organization since then has successfully made a lot of inroads amongst philanthropists, politicians, civil society, and the clergy of British society. 

The focus then shifts to the author’s first impressions of the rise of Hindu Nationalism which he attributes to the organization of camps by these outfits in the diasporic countries. We find that many of these involve developing youth interests through internship programs and outreach activities which introduce the Hindutva ideology packaged as a project-based enterprise with interactive games and tours for the young. The camps also play an all-important function for the transnational community of Indians with an ‘imagined’ Hindu India and a platform for training HSS joinees so they can learn about the Hindu vision of the Sangh. 

The author notes that these camps gave off the impression of an ‘egalitarian’ space, but they were majorly financed and patronized by close-knit upper caste groups. In a revealing anecdote, the author points out that the ‘rhetoric of egalitarianism’ in these camps was usually uncritical. There were few participants from the scheduled castes but more from the groups of upper-caste Gujarati society-Brahmins, Patels and Baniyas, thus reifying the myth of a united Hindu India

Anderson further explores larger gatherings of multiple Hindu organizations in his book. Notably, 1989’s Vishwa Hindu Sammelan (Global Hindu Meet) in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire was a major event for the diasporic Hindus in the UK. The grand meeting organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was done to promote the ‘Ram Janmabhoomi Movement’ of Ayodhya in India. The meeting was used to consecrate ‘sacred gold bricks’ which would adorn the temple dedicated to Lord Rama in the future. 

One of the immediate events that followed this meeting challenged the alleged ‘secular fabric’ of Indian society. The demolition of Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid in 1992 was incorporated and eulogized as one of the pinnacle achievements of a global Holy War to establish Hindutva. The Indian Emergency of 1975 was also a pivotal moment in the diasporic Hindu consciousness. The HSS and the RSS disseminated subversive literature condemning the incumbent Indira Gandhi in the UK. 

In the wake of these events, the Hindutva organizations collectively protested and opposed portrayals of Hindu extremism in popular media. Next, there were attempts at revising the content of school text books on Hinduism with the thoughts and philosophy of the VHP and the RSS. There was also a turn towards developing a perception in these countries of a ‘model minority’ (p. 242), one that distinguishes itself by acts of public service and social contributions towards the project of Hindutva. These included tactics to embed the diaspora within the local British society. Sewa Day, the Hindu Marathon, amongst such events, have propelled the philanthropic side and popularized the Sangh and its many affiliated groups abroad amongst the British political elite. 

Is the Hindu nationalism in India similar to the beliefs and political outlook of the Indian diaspora in the UK or the US? Researchers, Angana Chatterjee and Thomas Blom Hansen (2023), have explored the nature of Hindu Nationalism in India.  In their research, they have described the failure of the state to ensure equal social and cultural space to minorities-Dalits, Muslims, Christians and Tribal communities. Anderson ends by highlighting the growing influence of Hindu organizations and political lobbies in the UK. He  highlights the instances of opposition  against MF Hussain’s exhibition in the UK, Wendy Doniger’s academic work getting banned in India and even the Labour Party in the UK deflecting from their original stand on the Kashmiri struggle for ‘self-determination’ as outcomes of rising activism of Hindutva forces in the Indian diaspora. 

We also read accounts of what the author refers to as ‘digital activism’ where the larger diaspora is involved in mediating and often polarizing opinions in favour of the Modi government in India. He also refers to instances where NRI loyalists to Hindutva and the BJP have played a direct role in influencing election outcomes through support for the Modi wave from abroad. Finally, the author also highlights how Hindutva organizations have begun to emulate Jewish notions of victimization and overt practices of influencing the cultural space in the UK and the US by promoting a cosmopolitan Hinduized political landscape. 

Many in India, including myself, were amazed by Prime Minister Modi’s reception amongst the Indian diaspora. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often referred to the diaspora as a very important part of the country’s collective social and political will. The book succinctly explains the ground prepared by the diasporic Hindutva groups which have led to the BJP victory in the 2014 and 2019 elections in India. It also explains how the various nationalistic organizations have vernacularized Hindutva politics in the foreign lands. This includes how these organizations have gained the sympathies of the political brass in these countries and lobbied their way to become prominent political elites.

The classic tropes of diasporas who feel a nostalgia for the homeland are reflected in the operation of Hindu nationalism amongst the Indian diasporic groups. However, a word of caution: there are other forms of diasporic politics which are against the rhetoric of Hindutva.  These include campaigns by ordinary Indians abroad against the Sangh and its affiliate organizations. They also include attempts which have amplified social movements like the Shaheen Bagh sit-in in Delhi, the country-wide Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stirs or wider protests from the Dalit-Bahujans in the wake of Rohit Vermula’s suicide. 

Apart from this, clarion calls of Khalistani secessionism and demands for the autonomy of Kashmir also challenge the monolith of Hindutva amongst the Indian diaspora. These movements have also led to the formation of associations such as the Anti-Caste Discrimination group and the Non-Resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India which are noteworthy associations amongst many which are involved in resisting Hindutva amongst the diaspora. However, an in-depth critical discussion of these bodies are beyond the scope of this book. In closing, the book opens up an important discussion on Indian Diasporas and religious nationalism, and South Asian modernity. It would be remiss to miss out the ontological and epistemological contributions Anderson brings to the fore in this thoroughly engaging read.