ABSTRACT
Multireligious societies pose a singular challenge to human rights inquiry into religion. This chapter examines the ideological framework within which right-wing forces in India have appropriated Hindu religion and culture in strategic ways to achieve their goals. India has a long way to go in protecting and guaranteeing women's rights in many areas, particularly economic well-being, health and reproductive rights, education, domestic violence, and gender violence committed by authorities, such as rape and torture. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established by the government in 1993. To the extent that the NHRC is dependent on complaints being brought before it, it has not developed a record on the protection of women's rights, let alone minority women's rights. At the national level, the unfortunate alignment of the Hindu Right with women's rights issues has prompted progressive groups to move away from promoting the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) toward a focus on reforming each religion from within.
