Tag: SouthAsianStudies
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In the deeply stratified caste-based society of India, untouchability was more than a social stigma—it was a form of systemic exclusion that dictated every interaction between communities. One of the most visible and personal manifestations of this discrimination was the denial of access to private homes. For centuries, Untouchables were not allowed to step into…
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Today marks the birth anniversary (4 November 1845) of Vasudev Balwant Phadke, one of the pioneering figures who inaugurated the revolutionary era during British rule in India. Phadke raised a fighting force of about three hundred determined young men and waged a campaign of resistance against the colonial occupiers. At the heart of his struggle…
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One of Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar’s most significant contributions to social reform in India was his active fight against the deeply ingrained practice of untouchability. Besides Savarkar’s Vitthal Temple Entry Movement, another remarkable milestone in this campaign was the founding of the Patit-Pawana-Mandir (Temple of the Redeemed) in Ratnagiri, a powerful symbol of inclusion and…
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When Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar reflected on what holds a nation together, he looked beyond geography or race. For him, true national unity demanded not only shared ideals but also a shared language (a Rashtrabhasha) — a medium through which those ideals could live, circulate, and bind people together. Savarkar viewed communication as the ‘lifeblood…
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Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 13 Introduction – A Justification of “Relative Violence” Violence and non-violence have long been central themes in Indian philosophical and political thought. Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar, a key proponent of Hindutva, presented a unique discourse on the subject, arguing for a pragmatic approach to violence—what he termed “just, relative violence.”…
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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…
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The Vitthal Temple in Ratnagiri, located in Maharashtra’s Konkan region, became one of the most symbolically charged sites in early 20th-century Hindu social reform. Dedicated to Lord Vitthal (‘Vithoba’) – a form of Vishnu-Krishna revered as the deity of the common people – the temple held both religious and social significance for the local Hindu…
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Savarkar’s Coding of Hindutva; Metacode Rashtra, Part 10; Code Myth (3/20); Codeelement Shivaji and Pan-Hinduism (1/15) Myth and Nation The German cultural theorist Andreas Dörner once argued that the most powerful idea modern societies use to hold themselves together is the concept of the nation. Without it, no state can sustain a sense of unity.…
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Savarkar’s Struggle Against Untouchability, Part III In pre-colonial India, the caste system established a deeply entrenched hierarchy that confined individuals to rigid social categories. Among its harshest expressions was the exclusion of the so-called Untouchables from Hindu temples. The larger and wealthier the temple, the more uncompromising the restrictions. For centuries, such practices persisted unchallenged,…
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Savarkar’s Struggle Against Untouchability, Part II Among the many aspects of Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar’s reformist thought, his campaign against untouchability stands out as a crucial yet often neglected chapter. During his confinement in Ratnagiri, Savarkar directed his intellectual and organisational energy toward addressing what he regarded as one of the gravest internal weaknesses of…