Globalization and hindu nationalism: Some theoretical reconsiderations

This paper attempts to present an understanding of the current discussions regarding religious nationalism in a global framework in order to solicit two themes in light of the case of Hindu Nationalism. One, the conflict of interest that arises between globalization as a ‘means’ and as an ‘end’; two, the implications of network societies and the politics of marginalization. Globalization is looked at from two ends of a spectrum – as an end product versus as a process in itself. This distinction between theorizing globalization as an end or as the means to an end has been made by scholars such as Robertson and White (2007). However, its implications on religious nationalism have not been explored exhaustively. An analysis of Hindu nationalism and revivalism as a peripheral dynamic in the Western nations needs to be problematized in this regard.