Draft:Alternatives to Indian nationalism
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Comment: Although the article is called 'Alternatives to Indian nationalism' the subject is somewhat unclear and rather essay like. This needs rewriting to reflect a clear presentation of a well-defined topic. The sections probably all have potential to be included, but copying excerpts is in my view not very helpful, without further context.We need to understand these various ideologies in the context of this article. What makes them alternatives to Indian nationalism? What sources are talking about these ideas being alternatives to Indian nationalism? You may also want to reconsider the article's title if you find any issues whilst rewriting. Check that the sources support your title and that the article does not stray into original research. You may wish to read WP:OR to ensure this. Heavy Grasshopper (talk) 12:02, 9 June 2025 (UTC)
 |  The page Alternatives to Indian nationalism in the mainspace is currently a redirect to Indian nationalism.Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL Last edited by Heavy Grasshopper (talk | contribs) 4 months ago. (Update)
Finished drafting? or |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2019) |
Indian nationalism is as much a diverse blend of nationalistic sentiments as its people are ethnically and religiously diverse. Thus the most influential undercurrents are more than just Indian in nature. Ethnic communities are diverse in terms of linguistics, social traditions and history across India.
History
[edit]The nature of ancient Indian nationhood and its territorial boundaries have been debated in various ways, as though there was rarely political unity, some level of cultural unity could be observed throughout Indian history.[1]
Indo-Muslim era
[edit]Reza Pirbhai argues that the beginnings of Indian Muslim nationalism can be traced to Mughal Emperor Akbar's pronouncement of being a Caliph.[2]
Colonial era
[edit]
The British conquest of India was enabled by conflict between the local kingdoms, with the ones that remained nominally independent referred to as the princely states.[4]
As the rulers of India, the British had an ambiguous view towards Indian nationalism. They envisioned a process of yielding greater autonomy to India while depending on the colony for their global dominance.[5]
Independence
[edit]In 1947, Lord Mountbatten came to India to discuss the eventual outcome of the British departure. At one point, he offered a plan to Nehru to make the various regions of India autonomous provinces, which Nehru strongly rejected;[6] Lakshman Menon, grandson of Nehru's principal adviser V. P. Menon, referred to the plan as "Plan Balkan" (in reference to Balkanisation).[7]
Contemporary era
[edit]In the early years of independence, India annexed over 500 princely states. Some of the princely states contemplated sovereignty, with a few caught between joining India or Pakistan.[8]
Religious nationalism
[edit]The most controversial and emotionally charged fibre in the fabric of Indian nationalism is religion. Religion forms a major, and in many cases, the central element of Indian life.[9] Religious nationalisms are often dependent on mutual opposition.[10]
Hindu nationalism
[edit]
An important influence upon Hindu consciousness arises from the time of Islamic empires in India. Entering the 20th century, Hindus formed over 75% of the population and thus unsurprisingly the backbone and platform of the nationalist movement. Modern Hindu thinking desired to unite Hindu society across the boundaries of caste, linguistic groups and ethnicity. In 1925, K.B. Hedgewar founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur, Maharashtra, which grew into the largest civil organisation in the country, and the most potent, mainstream base of Hindu nationalism.[12]
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar coined the term Hindutva for his ideology that described India as a Hindu Rashtra, a Hindu nation. This ideology has become the cornerstone of the political and religious agendas of modern Hindu nationalist bodies like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Hindutva political demands include revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that granted a special semi-autonomous status to the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, and adopting a uniform civil code, thus ending special legal frameworks for different religions in the country.[13] These particular demands are based upon ending laws that Hindu nationalists consider to be special treatment offered to different religions.[14]
Muslim nationalism
[edit]
From a historical perspective, Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed of the Stockholm University and Professor Shamsul Islam of the University of Delhi classified the Muslims of Colonial India into two categories during the era of the Indian independence movement: nationalist Muslims (Indian Muslims who opposed the partition of India and aligned with Indian nationalism) and Muslim nationalists (individuals who desired to create a separate country for Indian Muslims). The All India Azad Muslim Conference represented nationalist Muslims, while the All-India Muslim League represented the Muslim nationalists. One such popular debate was the Madani–Iqbal debate.
Sikh nationalism
[edit]
The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno-religious sovereign state called Khalistan () in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab, while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The call for a separate Sikh state began during the 1930s, when British rule in India was nearing its end. In 1940, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in a pamphlet titled "Khalistan". In the 1940s, a demand for a Sikh country called 'Sikhistan' arose. With financial and political support from the Sikh diaspora, the movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab – which has a Sikh-majority population – continuing through the 1970s and 1980s, and reaching its zenith in the late 1980s. The Sikh separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chohan said that during his talks with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the latter affirmed his support for the Khalistan movement in retaliation for the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, which resulted in the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
The insurgency in Punjab started in the early 1980s after 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash. Several Pro-Khalistan groups were involved in the armed insurgency, including Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Commando Force, among others. In 1986, Khalistan Commando Force took responsibility for the assassination of General Arun Vaidya, in retaliation for 1984's Operation Blue Star. By the mid-1990s, the insurgency petered out, with the last major incident being the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb blast by a member of Babbar Khalsa. The movement failed to reach its objective for multiple reasons, including violent police crackdowns on separatists, factional infighting, and disillusionment from the Sikh population.
Regional nationalism
[edit]Bengal
[edit]
Bengali nationalism (, ) is a form of ethnic nationalism that focuses on Bengalis as a single ethnicity by rejecting imposition of other languages and cultures while promoting its own in Bengal. Bengalis speak the Bengali language and mostly live across Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam (Barak Valley). Bengali nationalism is one of the four fundamental principles according to the Constitution of Bangladesh and was the main driving force behind the creation of the independent nation state of Bangladesh through the 1971 liberation war. Bengali Muslims make up the majority (90%) of Bangladesh's citizens (Bangladeshis), and are the largest minority in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal, whereas Bengali Hindus make up the majority of India's citizens (Indians) in Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of Assam and Jharkhand and the independent state of Bangladesh (8%).
Punjab
[edit]Punjabi nationalism is an ethnonationalist ideology that focuses on Punjabis as a single nation, emphasising Punjabi cultural and social unity around the world, especially in their native Punjab — split between Pakistan and India. The demands of the Punjabi nationalist movement are linguistic, cultural, economic and political rights.
With its origins in post-Mughal Punjab, early forms of Punjabi nationalism spurred the coalescence of Punjabis into a broader common "Punjabi" national identity in the wake of Afghan and Maratha invasions of Punjab. Various independent Punjabi states arose during the Mughal decline, including several Muslim states (most notably Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Pothohar, Sial State) and twelve Sikh Misls.
References
[edit]- ^ Mukherjee, Soumyen (1996). "Origins of Indian Nationalism: Some Questions on the Historiography of Modern India". Sydney Studies in Society and Culture. 13. ISSN 0812-6402. Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ Pirbhai, Reza (2004). Antagonistic utopias: A cultural approach to Mughal polity and Muslim nationalism. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto. ISBN 978-0-612-91622-7.
- ^ Kamm, Josephine (1946). "Self-Government in the British Dependent Empire". World Affairs. 109 (4): 280–285. ISSN 0043-8200.
- ^ "The 4 Key Reasons India Gained Independence in 1947". History Hit. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ Huttenback, Robert A (1999). "Britain and Indian Nationalism: Imprint of Ambiguity, 1929-1942 (review)". Journal of Interdisciplinary History. 30 (1): 175–177. doi:10.1162/jinh.1999.30.1.175. ISSN 1530-9169.
- ^ "From the archives: How Jawaharlal Nehru foiled a British plan to Balkanise India". India Today. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- ^ "'Plan Balkan' that hit Jawaharlal Nehru wall". Archived from the original on 2025-04-19. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- ^ "From Jammu & Kashmir to Jodhpur, 6 princely states which refused to join India". India Today. 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ Lobo, Lancy (2002). Globalisation, Hindu nationalism, and Christians in India. Jaipur: Rawat Publications. p. 26. ISBN 978-81-7033-716-4.
- ^ Veer, Peter van der (1994-02-07). Religious Nationalism: Hindus and Muslims in India. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-08256-4.
- ^ Ayyub, Rana (January 29, 2024). "Hindu nationalism overtakes India's patriotic holiday". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh | History, Ideology, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "What is Uniform Civil Code?". Jagranjosh.com. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "WHAT IS UNIFORM CIVIL CODE". Business Standard. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "MINURSO'S PEACEKEEPERS: NATIONAL DAY OF PAKISTAN". MINURSO. 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2025-05-25.