Hindutva
Form of right-wing Hindu nationalism / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hindutva (/hɪnˈdʊtvə/ lit. 'Hindu-ness') is a political ideology encompassing the cultural justification of Hindu nationalism and the belief in establishing Hindu hegemony within India.[1][2][3][4] The political ideology was formulated by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1922.[5][6] It is used by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the current ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)[7][8] and other organisations, collectively called the Sangh Parivar.
Inspired by European fascism,[9][10] the Hindutva movement has been described as a variant of right-wing extremism,[11] and as "almost fascist in the classical sense", adhering to a concept of homogenised majority and cultural hegemony.[12][13] Some have also described Hindutva as a separatist ideology.[14][15] Some analysts dispute the identification of Hindutva with fascism, and suggest Hindutva is an extreme form of conservatism or ethno-nationalism.[16]