ABSTRACT
In 1928 Jawaharlal Nehru declared, “If religion or rather what is called religion, in India continues to interfere with everything, then it will not be a mere question of divorcing it from politics, but of divorcing it from life itself.” The link between cultural nationalism and violence raises questions about the future of Indian democracy. With the entry of parties like the BJP and Shiv Sena onto the Indian political landscape, a veritable battle of nationalism is being played out between Hindutva and the forces of civic nationalism. Advocates of both types of nationalism profess to have the interests of the country at heart and predict that if power falls under the sway of the other group, the nation will descend into political chaos. Radical change in Maharashtra’s politics has not been marked by a drastic fall in popular votes during parliamentary elections for Congress.
