Communalism, caste and Hindu nationalism : the violence in Gujarat / Ornit Shani.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shani, Ornit.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Communalism--India.

Communalism.

India.

Caste--India.

Caste.

Hindus--India.

Hindus.

Nationalism--Religious aspects--Hinduism--India.

Nationalism.

Nationalism--Religious aspects--Hinduism.

India--Politics and government--1947-.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xiii, 215 pages : 1 map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Belligerent Hindu nationalism, accompanied by recurring communal violence between Hindus and Muslims, has become a compelling force in Indian politics over the last two decades of the twentieth century. Ornit Shani's book, which examines the rise of communalism, asks why distinct groups of Hindus, deeply divided by caste, mobilised on the basis of unitary Hindu nationalism? And why was the Hindu nationalist rhetoric about the threat from the essentially impoverished Muslim minority so persuasive to the Hindu majority? Shani uses evidence from communal violence in Ahmedabad, the largest and most prosperous city in Gujarat, long considered the 'laboratory' of Hindu nationalism, as the basis for her investigations. She argues that, contrary to the currently perceived wisdom, the growth of communalism did not lie in Hindu-Muslim antagonisms alone. It was rather an expression of intensifying tensions among Hindus, nurtured by changes in the caste regime and associated state policies. The causes for the resulting uncertainties among Hindus were frequently displaced onto Muslims, thus enabling caste tensions to develop and deepen communal rivalries. The book offers a significant and persuasive challenge to previous scholarship on the rise of communalism, providing a conceptual framework for thinking of similar conflicts elsewhere. It will be welcomed by students and readers with a professional interest in the region.

Contents:

Map of Ahmedabad xiv

Part I The background 23

2 The politics and discourse of reservations and caste 52

Part II The 1985 Ahmedabad riots: the historical conjunction between caste conflicts and communalism 77

3 The official account 89

4 The 'living-text', or, the riots within the riot 108

Part III The making of ethnoHinduism 133

5 The making of ethnoHinduism: from the politics of redistribution to the politics of recognition 135

6 The role of violence in ethnic politics 156.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780521865135

0521865131

9780521683692

0521683696

OCLC:

77540850