When Hindutva Claims Ownership of Hinduism: Faith, Power, Movies and the Loss of Human Dignity Who owns Rama? Who decides what Hinduism means? And can a religion built through centuries of diverse traditions be reduced to one political identity? I have been thinking about the relationship between Hinduism, Hindutva, caste, mythology, cinema and the treatment of minorities in India. These are not merely religious questions. They are questions about history, power, identity, democracy and the dignity of human beings. My concern is not with an ordinary Hindu's right to worship, celebrate festivals, follow traditions or believe in their gods. That freedom must be protected. My concern is with the political appropriation of religion: when a political ideology begins deciding which interpretation is authentic, which community belongs, which history should be celebrated and which people should be treated as outsiders. 1. Hinduism was never one uniform tradition Hindu religious traditions...
RSS–BJP: The Machinery of Hatred, Sleeper Networks and Social Division My concern is not Hinduism, Ram, Krishna or anyone's faith. My concern is how the RSS–BJP ecosystem is injecting a particular political ideology into every corner of Indian society — movies, news, books, social media, religious gatherings, political rallies and everyday conversations. Ram Rajya is being projected everywhere. But where are justice, equality and dignity? What particularly concerns me is the possibility of a deeper, organised street-level mobilisation network (sleeping cells). I want to investigate allegations of RSS-linked groups and local cadres being mobilised through networks of intimidation, substance abuse and organised violence. Are there dormant groups that become active during communal tensions, protests or politically sensitive incidents? Who recruits them, who finances them, who supplies them and who gives the instructions? These are serious questions that demand independent investigatio...