Tag: Buddhism


  • Savarkar’s Notion of Just, Relative Violence

    Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 12 Introduction – Savarkar’s Radical Philosophy of Resistance Few statements in modern Indian political thought are as provocative as Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar’s declaration that relative non-violence is a virtue, absolute non-violence a crime. This concise yet explosive maxim captures the essence of Savarkar’s departure from the dominant ‘Gandhian ethos’…

  • Savarkar and the Politics of Conversion

    Savarkar’s Philosophy & Worldview, Part 14  The Relationship Between Nation and Religion: Understanding Savarkar’s Perspective on Religious Conversions Religion and nationality have long been intertwined in the fabric of human societies, shaping identities, cultures, and political landscapes. Few thinkers have explored this relationship as provocatively as Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar who  presented a unique perspective…

  • Savarkar’s notion on Holy, Righteous War

    Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 11 The idea of a “holy war,” known as Dharma Yuddha, against the enemies of Hindutva – particularly non-Hindu occupiers of the land – was a fundamental principle shaping Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar from his early youth. He derived this concept from the Bhagavad Gita, which speaks of the divine…

  • Savarkar’s Defensive Indian Democracy

    Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 8 The political ideas of Vinayak (Veer) Damodar Savarkar cannot be clearly assigned to a specific model of governance. However, with the transformation of British India into the independent Indian Union, democratic concepts increasingly became the focus of his thinking. In his final work, Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History,…

  • Savarkar’s Plea for a Right to Resistance

    Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 6 The Concept of “Responsive Resistance” Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was deeply influenced by the idea of “Responsive Resistance,” a term coined by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This concept proposed that Indian cooperation with British colonial rule should be directly proportional to the level of political reforms granted by the British. More…

  • The Sacred Soil: Codeelement Punyabhumi, the Sanctity of the Territory

    Savarkar’s coding of Hindutva; Metacode Rashtra, Part 4; Code Territory (3/6) The concept of Punyabhumi, or “sacred land”, is central to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s definition of the Hindu Rashtra. While he acknowledges the geographical and territorial aspect of the nation (Pitribhu), he further elevates it by embedding a religious dimension, defining it as a “sacred…