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What Transcends the Nation?

The invocation of "the people" as the foundation of the nation state raises the specter of "belonging" and involves a staging of the essence of the nation. In India, religion is taken to be the essence of the nation within the framework of hindutva ideology. Muslims are regarded not only as secondar...

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Published in:Asian Ethnology Vol. 80; no. 1; pp. 19 - 31
Main Author: VAN DER VEER, PETER
Format: Article
Published: Nanzan University 2021
Subjects:
Hindutva
Hinduism & state
Nationalism
Indian Muslims
Sovereignty
Social conditions in India
India
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:The invocation of "the people" as the foundation of the nation state raises the specter of "belonging" and involves a staging of the essence of the nation. In India, religion is taken to be the essence of the nation within the framework of hindutva ideology. Muslims are regarded not only as secondary citizens but also as enemy targets for national mobilization. The sovereignty of the Indian state thus necessarily depends on violence directed at the Pakistani national outside of its borders and at the Muslim population residing within.