Hindus and others : the question of identity in India today / edited by Gyanendra Pandey
- New Delhi Penguin Books 1993
- 313p.
On 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by a mob of religious fundamentalists. This action by the Hindu Right-wing, not only flouted constitutional human rights and the authority of the courts but also showed the rise of a new imperialism with a threatening vocabulary and plan of action. Most disturbingly, Hindu fundamentalists have arrogated to themselves the right to determine who the 'natural' .inhabitants of the country are. All the foregoing have brought the question of identity and particularly that of communal and religious identity to centrestage in India and elsewhere. The writers in this volume explore the various aspects of this ugly, sometimes even grotesque phenomenon and attempt to understand-from the political, cultural, theological, social and legal angles--the question of identity in late twentieth century India.