hindutva: microsoft paint in service of hindu nationalism
feast your eyes on this picture I found on a hindutva website. hindutva is sanskrit (how come benedict anderson doesn't cite this as one of his "sacred languages"? it seems to work well enough to me in creating socio-linguistic authority, albeit anachronistically, in everything from political party names to the general linguistic purity movement which seems to be touted by those orthodox enough to make even touchy quebecoises blush). it means "hinduness": the innate quality of being fond of the color saffron, an aversion to cow slaughter, a respect for the religions and cultures of a nebulous plot of land known to them as the hindu rashtra, a newly-found and fervent sense of stewardship on hindu temples that happen to built over by mosques, and the normal imagined community aetheticization of politics. I think the brave pamphleteer who coined the phrase, V.D. Savarkarm said it best. "The ideas and ideals, the systems and societies, the thoughts and sentiments which have centered round this name are so varied and rich, so powerful and so subtle, so elusive and yet so vived that the term Hindutva defies all attempts at analysis." for his part, Prabhat Patnaik says that the hindutva movement is "classically fascist in class support, methods and programme".
In this debate, I was not too sure where I would stand. After all, I sort of like Islam, but these hindutva guys says it is poor evil witchery and bloodshed. Then again, their social programme does sound vague and buttressed by symbolic acts meant to create interethnic tension....
In the end, all I can really rely on in my judgement is their craft at the digital arts, and in that arena they are second to none. look how the artist has perfectly aligned the hindutva soldier, proudly thronged my symbols of his cause, so that his gun can fire a bullet straight into Osama bin laden's cow-murdering, polygamist, jihadi head! The subtelty of the stealth powers of a hindutva soldier is captured by his ability to catch Osama offguard: the placement of women scantily-clad in the field of vision of the infamous terrorist, clearly a symbol of his preoccupation with the sinful over-sexualized culture of the west. Imagine the years of training, no doubt at Benares Hindu University, it must have took this proud hindu youth to so perfectly match the gunsight with Osama's head to the digital breasts of the bikini dancers. Lastly, take note of the extremely realistic flames surrounding the pakistani flag, stained in blood letters. The fear this evokes need not be articulated as you can surely feel it in your own heart. I can't believe this whole time I have been carelessly claiming to be an Islamophile, it sends shivers down my spines.
Clearly faced with the dedication and skill of this picture, any doubt can be left as to where myself, and might I suggest you, should fall on this issue.
In this debate, I was not too sure where I would stand. After all, I sort of like Islam, but these hindutva guys says it is poor evil witchery and bloodshed. Then again, their social programme does sound vague and buttressed by symbolic acts meant to create interethnic tension....
In the end, all I can really rely on in my judgement is their craft at the digital arts, and in that arena they are second to none. look how the artist has perfectly aligned the hindutva soldier, proudly thronged my symbols of his cause, so that his gun can fire a bullet straight into Osama bin laden's cow-murdering, polygamist, jihadi head! The subtelty of the stealth powers of a hindutva soldier is captured by his ability to catch Osama offguard: the placement of women scantily-clad in the field of vision of the infamous terrorist, clearly a symbol of his preoccupation with the sinful over-sexualized culture of the west. Imagine the years of training, no doubt at Benares Hindu University, it must have took this proud hindu youth to so perfectly match the gunsight with Osama's head to the digital breasts of the bikini dancers. Lastly, take note of the extremely realistic flames surrounding the pakistani flag, stained in blood letters. The fear this evokes need not be articulated as you can surely feel it in your own heart. I can't believe this whole time I have been carelessly claiming to be an Islamophile, it sends shivers down my spines.
Clearly faced with the dedication and skill of this picture, any doubt can be left as to where myself, and might I suggest you, should fall on this issue.
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