India’s May 7 strikes reflect Hindutva’s rise, threatening Pakistan’s security; vigilance, unity, diplomacy, and preparedness are vital for national survival
Aamir Zulfiqar Khan
What transpired on 7th May 2025 has baffled both local and international experts. The ruthless and blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, based on zero evidence about its involvement in the Pahalgam attack and subsequent media celebration about the killing of scores of innocent civilians in mainland Pakistan, is not as simple a matter as India has tried to make it appear. The way Operation Sindoor was launched by India points out a much deeper malaise in its fabric. An India that was secular, inclusive, and at peace with itself would not have resorted to such provocation, which could have culminated in the Armageddon of a nuclear conflict. As a Nation, it is necessary for us to understand the concept of Hindutva to analyse how the Muslims in Mahatma Gandhi’s secular, Inclusive, and multi-religious-cultural-lingual India have been suffocated ruthlessly and the most serious threat it poses to Pakistan.
The term, “Hindutva” was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923, in his pamphlet titled “Hindutva-Who is a Hindu?” It defined India as belonging only to Hindus, and all other religions/nations were not a part of the Indian sub-continent. Savarkar defined the three pillars of Hindutva as: Common Nation, Common Race, and Common Culture. He set in motion the thought that a “Hindu” was a person who regarded India as his Pitrubhumi (Fatherland) and Punyabhumi (Holy land), thereby excluding Muslims, Christians, and all other non-Hindus from India. Later, at the Hindu Mahasabha’s 19th Annual Session in Ahmedabad in 1937, Savarkar propounded the notion of an Akhand Bharat that “must remain one and indivisible from Kashmir to Rameswaram, from Sindh to Assam.” He took this term from Emperor Ashoka, who ruled over a vast empire known as Akhand Bharat. RSS made this the cornerstone of countering the “Divide and Rule” policy of the British, inadvertently making the Muslims more fearful of living under Hindu tutelage. Interestingly, Mahatma Gandhi was also a very strong proponent of Akhand Bharat.
2025 is the Centennial year of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS which was formed on 27th September 1925 in Nagpur India, by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who was a physician and a Hindu nationalist activist. It got its philosophical moorings from Savarkar’s Hindutva and it aimed to instill, “Hindu discipline” through paramilitary training and ideological education. As of 2024, RSS has over 5 million registered members and 73000 branches. It has evolved as the ideological backbone of the Sangh Parivar, which is a network of Hindu nationalist groups, whose main torchbearer is the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP.
Pakistan needs to ensure that the adrenaline of the present moment does not blur
our vision of the future
It is essential to understand that Hindutva is not Hinduism. Hinduism is a major world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent, comprising a diverse range of philosophical, social, spiritual, and ritualistic practices. It has no single doctrine, prophet, or book (there is a huge collection of religious texts), no centralised church, and a vast pantheon of Deities. It offers its followers a multifaceted approach to life, encompassing spiritual guidance, structured social hierarchy, philosophical insights, and a rich tapestry of cultural practices. Over the ages, it has been generally pluralistic and tolerant.
Hindutva, on the other hand is an exclusive, right-wing political ideology encompassing the cultural justification of Hindu nationalism, with the aim of establishing Hindu hegemony within India. In its essence, it is majoritarian believing that only Hindus have the right to live in India. It is confrontational, intolerant, communal, and rabidly non-secular, focusing primarily on identity politics and Hindu cultural assertion with the primary aim of reshaping India into a Hindu Rashtra. The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on 30th January 1948 by Nathuram Godse, who was affiliated with the RSS and was also a member of the Hindu Mahasabha, a right-wing Hindu extremist party was primarily on the pretext that Gandhi was too soft on Muslims and Pakistan.
Between 1947 and 1991, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) played a significant role in Indian society, primarily through its Hindu nationalist ideology and its influence on the social and political landscape. It grew into a powerful organisation, spawning several affiliated groups and promoting its agenda. However, its Political role in mainstream politics remained marginal. Congress, which was a secular party, ruled most of this period and besides occasional Hindu-Muslim riots, generally, both communities lived in peace. RSS had been banned by Congress Governments in 1948 and 1975-1977.
The phoenix of Hindutva ideology emerged in 1992. The demolition of the 16th-century Babri mosque in Ayodhya, marked the dramatic manifestation of Hindutva, shattering the communal harmony and starting the burial of an inclusive, secular India. A decade later, in 2002, the Gujarat pogrom took place. Over 1000 people were killed, 70% of whom were Muslims and nearly 3000 were injured. It went on for 3 days, with the provincial Government headed by Mr. Narendra Damodardas Modi refusing to stop this gory incident, with force. Rather, according to some reports, there was tacit approval. This idea has further gained ascendancy when according to an Al-Jazeera report on 21st January 2023, India blocked the airing of a BBC documentary that questioned the Prime Minister’s leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that even sharing any clips via social media was barred.
Since, 2014 India under BJP has been on an escalator ladder, not only against its Muslim population but also vis-a-vis Pakistan. In its quest for implementation of Hindutva and converting the dream of Akhand Bharat into a reality, “Anti-Muslimism” has become a mantra. A scholarly article published in the “Council of Foreign Relations”, authored by Lindsay Maizland on 18th March 2024 gives a very detailed account of the drastic steps taken against the Muslim population of India by the BJP government, since 2014. It is also very important to note that contrary to Pakistan’s political discourse in which India does not get much mention during elections, brandishing Pakistan as India’s No. 1 enemy is a standard practice during elections in India in the last decade.
What transpired after the 22nd April 2025 Pahalgam attack is a true reflection of the implementation of Hindutva ideology. The largest democracy, resorting to such macabre behavior, blinded by its hatred for Muslims, pushing the world to the precipice, is a serious threat to Pakistan. This impression is further strengthened by the belligerent speech given by PM Modi in Gujarat on 26th May 2025, in which he again indulged in Jingoism.
Pakistan needs to ensure that the adrenaline of the present moment does not blur our vision of the future. India can strike again, as Operation Sindoor was a warning embedded in steel and fire. We need to remain very vigilant, lest the enemy can damage us not only through war but in all spheres of international relations. The need for inclusive political discourse, ensuring Unity in our society, the use of Media as a unifying platform, the mobilisation of a professional and carefully crafted diplomatic offensive to counter the venom being sprouted by India, closest relationships with our friends and top military preparedness, besides other steps, is the panacea for the existential threat posed by Hindutva to Pakistan.
Remember that history is replete with examples that history does not reward Nations that rest on moments of glory. Rather, it honors those who learn, adapt, prepare, and never let their guard down, even for a moment.__This is an article of the Friday Times Pakistan from 01.06.2025
