Contesting Nationalisms

Indian nationalism has been a contested space over the last century. Claims and counter-claims have been advanced regarding its nature for long now. This book argues that there are multiple visions of Indian nationalism, each seeking hegemony over national discourse, and that divergences regarding the cultural-ideological contours of the idea of India are central to the contest over what Indian nationalism means.

Contesting Nationalisms identifies four strands: composite culture nationalism; religious nationalism; a secular, citizen-centric nationalism, and a vision of 'Dalit nationalism' seeking to reorder the public sphere in its own fashion. It traces these visions, which emerged in colonial India, through an exploration of the ideas of key ideologues in colonial Punjab. The analysis also has implications for our understanding of communalism, which has been seen as intertwined with nationalism in India for more than a century now.

Currently deputy political editor with The Hindu in New Delhi, Vikas Pathak has been researching modern Indian history for close to two decades, with Indian nationalism as his area of interest. He has also been a keen chronicler and analyst of contemporary Indian politics and policy, and has written on the BJP and its allied organizations, apart from other political parties, for key newspapers in India for about a decade.