ABSTRACT
Cultural nationalism has persistently undermined the Indian political order, requiring serious analysis of its tangent episodes. The context of the riots was shaped by economic dislocations as well as the Congress government’s crisis of governability. Against the backdrop of political and economic anxiety, the Shiv Sena skillfully mobilized at the grass roots through its internal network of shakhas, which disseminated the idea of a unified Hindu nation through editorials in the Saamna and sponsored religious celebrations. The context of economic and political crisis signified by de-industrialization, the failure of the Mumbai textile strike, and the Congress Party’s crisis of governability contributed—and continues to contribute—to the success of the Sena. The Congress government of Maharashtra and Mumbai watched as sectarian conflict tore Mumbai apart.
