Thread by @AudreyTruschke

The Hindu Right is objecting to historical images of Hindu deities.

This isn't surprising, but it is appalling and, dare I say it, anti-Hindu. Here's how that works...

scroll.in/latest/1029850… #Hindutva #Hinduism

The "Hindu Right" is a set of groups and individuals aligned on political lines. Some are practicing Hindus, and some are not. They all share allegiance to a political ideology of Hindu supremacy known as Hindutva.

Hindutva thinkers have been intolerant of many Hindu ideas from the start. The godfather of Hindutva ideology, Savarkar mocked Hindu practices, such as cow veneration as lowering the standing of humanity (get angry at him, not me; I find many of Savarkar's ideas offensive).

The Hindu Right has an entire wing devoted to religious affairs, led by the VHP / VHPA (recall -- the Hindu Right is global, their major organizations all have branches in India and abroad).

The VHP / VHPA promotes a rather specific kind of Hinduism...

The VHP / VHPA's Hinduism tends to be dominated by upper-caste practices, encourages militancy, embodies male-dominance, and isn't super keen on vama or left-handed practices (like tantra).

So, Kali, a fierce and independent goddess associated with tantra... not their favorite.

Here's a key takeaway -- The Hindu Right is intolerant of many aspects of Hindu practices.

In fact, they'll attack me for this thread merely because I acknowledge the diverse Hindu tradition *without* condemning the parts they reject.

#Hindutva #intolerance