The RSS: Icons of the Indian Right

by Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay

Amongst other things, Hedgewar’s theory of a delineation between Hindiwadi (not linguistically, but indicative of inclusive nationalism) and Hinduwadi stood out sharply at these public gatherings. He argued that the former was based on the policy of appeasing the minorities, while the Hinduwadis ensured that the Hindus’ interests were protected. However within the Indian National Congress, because of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru who were Hindiwadis, it was next to impossible to expound against the Muslims**.31 It was also after his meeting with Savarkar and in departure from his previous position that, ‘India was the nation of all people living here,’ Hedgewar now insisted that, ‘Hindutva was nation-ness (Rashtriyatva).’32 According to him, no person could be defined as a true Indian or Bharatiya, unless he believed in this principle. In Keshav Baliram Hedgewar’s mind, this was the point at which he made a clear differentiation between cultural nationalism and territorial nationalism.