ABSTRACT
One of the earliest impetuses to unite the Hindus against the Muslims arose as a reaction to the British decision to grant separate electorates to the Muslim minority of India. The Hindus believed that in recognising the cultural distinctiveness of the Muslims and conferring special concessions upon them, the British were helping the Muslims assert their dominance over the Hindus. Until 1906, when Lord Minto announced the decision to enforce communal representation, the Arya Samajis considered themselves the followers of the Vedas. After 1906, the Arya Samajis began viewing themselves as Hindus and joined forces with the Sanatanis to counter the Muslims’ growing influence. In the second half of the 20th century, Rajiv Gandhi’s handling of the Shah Bano case and the demolition of the Babri Mosque bolstered organisations such as the Hindu Ekta Andolan and Shiv Pratishthan. After the destruction of the Babri Mosque, the two communities began to express their uniqueness overtly.
