Making of a nation

The decades of 1980s saw a shift in the language of political discourse. Starting with Ram temple movement, which came in the form of rath yatras and culminated in the demolition of Babri mosque, it also saw an intensification of communal violence and broadening and deepening of myths against minorities. It did give a severe jolt to the human rights movement. Accompanying this onslaught was a whole set of understandings, myths and stereotypes about minorities, challenge to the prevalent notions of secularism, personal laws and the very concept of nationalism itself.

The rising communal phenomenon challenged the concept of Indian nationhood and propagated that ours is a Hindu nation. The weaknesses in the practice of secularism by the then ruling party were attributed to the defects in the concept of secularism. Secularism was branded as a western concept, unsuitable for the Hindu India. It was asserted that this notion has been the cause of weaknesses of Indian society. It has led to appeasement of minorities at the cost of interests of Hindus. The major project of the communal forces was to occupy the social space, in which the myths about minorities, their loyalty to India were questioned along with an increased intimidation and violence against them.