ABSTRACT
The relationship between religion and the environment is now a wellestablished subject of academic discussion (White 1967; Worldviews passim; Gottlieb 1996; American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2001), and has attracted formal responses from all of the major world religions (WWF 1986). Hinduism,1 the focus of this chapter, has been the subject of particular attention – recent analyses include Prime (1992), Nelson (1998a), Baviskar (1999), James (1999), Chapple and Tucker (2000), and Narayanan (2001). Within these and other studies, three broad and overlapping analytical approaches can be identified: (1) the exegesis of religious and historical texts to uncover metaphysical and philosophical teachings on the environment, as well as indications of past attitudes and behaviours; (2) ethnographic explorations of particular social and cultural practices which relate to the environment; and (3) sociological analyses of movements and organisations that actively mobilise religious values and beliefs in pursuit of various environmental goals. Although much of this work is broadly positive about the role religious belief can and sometimes does play in encouraging greater ecological sensitivity, some commentators rightfully express cautions and caveats. These include the limitations of textual analysis in elucidating actual values and behaviours, past and present (Pedersen 1995; Nelson 2000; Patton 2000); the evidence that some elements of Hindu belief and practice can be at best neglectful and at worst positively damaging to the environment (Nelson 1998b; Alley 2000, 2002); and questions over whether religion or culture is an appropriate or sufficient frame through which to tackle the massive environmental problems confronting modern India (Nanda 2002; Tomalin 2002). This chapter is concerned with another caution – of a different order and with a different set of implications – the abuse of religion and ecology in India through the mobilisation of ‘green’ issues in ways that are intended to promote a chauvinist Hindu nationalist agenda. The context for this argument is the growth of Hindu nationalism in the Indian polity and society, and the increasing violence and discrimination against religious minorities and others in India.
