Hindutva Politics in India

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This book is a comprehensive analysis of the Bharatiya Janata Party as the major architect of the Hindutva politics and ideology since its founding in 1980.

The BJP represents two important political legacies; first the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh which was founded by S. P. Mookerjee with the support and organizational cadres of the Rashtriya Sayamsevak Sangh, and second of the emergency resistance movement. This political biography of BJP depicts the various phases of organizational and ideological growth of the party.

Drawing on substantial collection and analysis of party's documents, Geeta Puri presents a thorough and gripping account of the Vajpayee-led BJP's mainstream- centrist thrusts and the Advani-led party's Hindutva campaigns. The book follows BJP through its social and geographical expansion, political consolidation and electoral victories within the broad parameters of Hindutva politics. Geeta Puri examines the BJP's existential dichotomy between identity and power and the consequent ideological self-betrayal represented by backburner politics. The book analyses the BJP's inspirational, organizational and ideological relationship with the RSS and the resulting perpetual identity crisis of the party.

Geeta Puri underscores the negative implications of the RSS back-seat driving of the BJP for Indian democracy and politics, and makes a strong case for the RSS to transform itself into a full-fledged political party. Assessing the BJP's demoralizing debacle in the elections-2004, this book offers a democratic critique of the Hindutva politics and considerably contributes to our understanding of the evolution of BJP which is still struggling with self- definition.

About the Author

Geeta Puri (born, 1944) did her M.A. in Political Science from the University of Delhi, M. Phil. And PhD from Jawaharlal University, New Delhi. She wrote her M. Phil dissertation on Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Bangladesh.

She published her book Bharatiya Jana Sangh- Organization and ideology. This work was reviewed in Indian and foreign academic journals and leading dailies and news magazines in India. She has written extensively on organizational and ideological issues relating to Bharatiya Janata Party and its earlier incarnation, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. She has presented her research papers in several seminars organized by Department of Political Science of University of Delhi that were published in professional journals and edited volumes. Many articles written by her have been published in the Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Tribune, Pioneer, India Abroad and Seminar. She is Reader in Political Science, Dayal Singh College, University of Delhi.