Hindutva: The Mandate for Any Government to Preserve Hindu Identity

Poonam Sharma

Within the Indian political sphere, there’s a debate that’s picking up speed on what ideologies must shape the governing government. It may be the BJP, Congress, or whichever party, but one thing needs to be clear: any government needs to include Hindutva as its core ideology. Hindutva is not merely a political agenda but an appeal for safeguarding Hindu religion, culture, and identity against the attacks of ideological terrorism and foreign threats that have tormented this country for centuries. The lack of Hindutva as a guiding principle makes India susceptible to cultural extinction and political domination. The developments of the last decade, particularly under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi, have revealed the strategic disadvantages of shunning or sidelining Hindutva.

Modi, over the past 12 years, has been constantly fighting against an ideological war that is attempting to denigrate the Hindu way of life. He has spearheaded initiatives to address terrorism and religious intolerance but has often been criticized for not going far enough in rooting out the religious ideology that supports terrorism. For too long, governments in India have oscillated between appeasing minorities and ignoring the core issues affecting Hindus. This reluctance to confront the ideological war has made India a battleground for conflicting forces, with the Hindu majority often left vulnerable. Take, for example, the horrifying case of the Pahalgam Hindu massacre.This has to have a full stop now.

This tragedy, in the name of Islamic terrorism, was conveniently pinned on Pakistan—an easy target employed to deflect from the more fundamental ideological issue at hand. Deployment of Pakistan as the villain by BJP or by any government is a maneuver to cause a DETERRENT—a visible signpost to frighten the masses. But the fact remains that terrorism is not limited to the borders of Pakistan; it flourishes on a very deeply entrenched ideology that has propagated much beyond the territories of Pakistan. This ideology is actively pursued by religious extremism and is continuing to spread in India, especially in areas such as Kashmir, Kerala, Assam, and West Bengal, where Islamic radicalization has gone out of hand. BJP, led by Modi, has managed to tackle the physical aspects of terrorism—via surgical strikes and other military operations.

However, these operations are symptomatic treatments. While surgical strikes may eliminate a few terrorists, they do nothing to eliminate the ideology  of violence. This ideology  is what drives the violence, and it resides in the minds of millions. This is where Hindutva turns absolutely essential for any governing party. A government without Hindutva in its core will be weak in handling the cause of Islamic extremism, which is prevalent on both sides of Pakistan and India. It should be realized that the violence we see is not merely a product of militant activity but the expression of a religiously motivated philosophy—a philosophy that rejects Hinduism’s rightful place in its own homeland.

The attacks on Hindus in Pahalgam and elsewhere are not random events; they are part of a larger strategy aimed at systematically eroding Hindu culture, religion, and identity. It is an ideology that has its roots in the times of Aurangzeb, whose rule was characterized by savage religious persecution, and it persists to this day, far beyond the confines of Pakistan. It is not a geography-bound or border-bound ideology. It is a concept—a potent, perilous one—that has spread across the Muslim world, and its existence in India cannot be denied.

The answer is not to simply blame Pakistan but to address the ideology that fuels the violence. Just as America needed to enact tough anti-terrorism legislation following 9/11 to fight Islamic extremism, India needs to acknowledge the need to counter this radical ideology directly. Hindutva offers a clear, unambiguous platform for addressing this threat. It does not hesitate to stand up for Hinduism as the basis of India’s culture and identity. It’s no longer sufficient for the government to merely deal with terrorism at surface level. In order to actually safeguard Hindus and protect India’s cultural identity, any governing party—be it BJP or any other—needs to embrace Hindutva as the central ideology.

This is not a political option; this is a compulsion. The shortcomings of past governments, who have juggled between appeasement and diplomacy, have exposed Hindus to risk. The BJP’s Hindutva emphasis has been its prime strength, but even that has not fully engaged the ideological battle. If India is to remain firm, Hindutva will have to become the guiding factor of governance, above party politics. The unabated propagation of islamic radicalism and its proliferation throughout India cannot be overlooked, and any party seeking to rule must put Hindutva at the top to protect Hindu interests. This is not a religious ideology; it is a survival issue. Hindutva is the solution to the increasingly emergent threats to Hinduism in India, and any government, regardless of party alignment, must accept it as the bedrock of its policy framework. In addition, this is not simply about reversing the external threats. It is about reclaiming the pride and self-respect of the Hindu nation, who have been systematically victimized and disempowered for decades. A Hindutva government would instill confidence in Hindus and bring empowerment to them, while catering to the demands of the majority that have long been neglected. Finally, the hour of reckoning has arrived for India to embrace Hindutva as its political and cultural faith.

No BJP, Congress, or other government can afford to ignore the fact of the ideological conflict that looms over Hindu identity.

Without Hindutva, no party must be allowed to thrive to safeguard the integrity of India’s cultural inheritance and the security of its Hindu populace.

India’s future, and its cultural integrity, hangs in the balance over the acceptance of Hindutva as the one ideology strong enough to resist the forces of destruction that wish to remould India’s history and identity.