Author: Koenraad Elst
Publisher: Voice of India
Year: 2001
Language: English
Pages: 1070
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185990697
Description
This book presents a wide-ranging study of Fascism, Nazism, Communism and the Hindutva movement, and draws a conclusion that Hindu Fascism like Loch Ness monster is merely a combination of words which may produce some sound and fury but which signify no observed reality.
One of the rare matters on which all known religions seem to agree, is the condemnation of calumny as an extremely grave evil. In today's opinion climate, no calumny is worse than the allegation that someone is a 'fascist', by which is meant a 'Nazi'. It is this gravest of calumnies which is nowadays routinely heaped upon Hinduism and its political vanguard. Originally launched by the Communists, the defamatory slogan of 'Hindu fascism' has been adopted by Christian and Islamic spokesmen as well as by many Western India -watchers.
There is nothing either in the time-honored doctrines or the hoary history of Hinduism, which resembles even remotely the ideology, or history of Nazism, or for that matter, Christianity or Islam or Communism. Hinduism has always been and remains a deep-rooted tradition of spiritual, cultural and social pluralism with ample provision for all sorts of skepticism and democratic debate. Far from creating any machinery for heresy hunting and persecution of dissent. Hindus have given shelter to the persecuted people from many lands and in all ages. But what is most important, they have always regarded their own homeland as the only playfield for their chakravartins, and never waged wars of conquest beyond the borders of Bharata-varsha.
Contrary to an assiduously propagated myth, RSS leader M S Golwalkar in his admittedly immature booklet, We: Our Nationhood Defined, did not hold up Hitler as a model for India. Far from it, he explicitly sought guidance from democratic political thinkers.
Contents
VOLUME I
Foreword
CHAPTER I: TERMS OF THE DEBATE
Introduction
On Fascism
National-Socialism and Fascism
Fascism and Communism
Other Voices
CHAPTER II: WAS GURU GOLWALKAR A NAZI?
Guruji’s First Book
The RSS and Ethnic Cleansing
Did Golwalkar Applaud Hitler?
Golwalkar vs Hitler
Conclusion
CHAPTER III: HINDUTVA, EQUALITY AND RACISM
A Brief History of Racism
Hinduism, Caste and Race
Hindustva and Racism
Hindus and Jews
Nationalism
CHAPTER IV: HISTORICAL RELATION OF HINDUTVA WITH FASCISM
The Moral Rationale of Collaboration
Hindu and Muslim Positions Regarding Hitler
The Hindutva Involvement in World War
The Non-Hindutva Forces and the Axis
VOLUME II
CHAPTER V: SAVITRI DEVI AND THE HINDU-ARYAN MYTH
A Book on Savitri Devi
Ideological Development
Savitri Devi and Hinduism
Savitri Devi and Neo-Nazism
Racism and Caste
Savitri Devi and the Hindu Nationalists
A warning to the Hindus
Savitri Devi’s Religion
Why bother?
CHAPTER VI: HINDUTVA AND DEMOCRACY
Alternatives to Democracy
The Shiv Sena and Democracy
The Hindu Nationalist View of Democracy
Is the BJP a Rightist Party?
Threats to Indian Democracy: Where are They?
CHAPTER VII: COMMUNAL VIOLENCE AND PROPAGANDA
Lenin, Goebbles, Orwell
Anti-Muslim and anti-Hindu Propaganda
Propagandistic Use of Communal Violence
Genocide in the Subcontinent
CHAPTER VIII: RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF TOTALITARIANISM
Profound Roots of National-Socialism
Hitler, Christianity and Secularism
National-Socialism and Paganism
What About the Swastika Itself?
A Closing Polemic with My Church
CHAPTER IX: CONCLUSION
The Evil of Defamation
Hindutva and Fascism: Historical Non-Relation
But What If?
Hinduism and Fascism: Historical Non-Relation
The Best Proof
Bibliography
Index