Hindu Nationalism Shaping the Foreign Policy and National Identity of India

Abstract

Over a decade ago, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Narendra Modi came into power in India. Since then BJP has won 2 more elections consecutively marking the dominance of BJP and the ideology of Hindutva or Hindu Nationalism in Indian Politics. The dominance of Hindu Nationalism in Shaping the Foreign Policy and National Identity of India delves into the key questions regarding the ideology’s impact on formulating the Identity of the Nation. Moreover, it also signifies the influence of the rising Hindu Nationalists on the relations of the state with the other state in the proximity and beyond the borders. The concept of Hindutva was widely studied across the 20th Century particularly due to instances such as the murder of Gandhi, the Ram Jambhomi incident also called the Babri Masjid demolition, BJP’s 1st election win in 1990s and now the arrival of Modi in India. The researches conducted earlier share detailed understanding of the ideology, its resurgence, and also the climax under Modi along with contemplating the impact on India’s identity and its relations with the world. The previous studies focused individually on the domestic affairs of india or the Foreign relations with the other states. However this dissertation emphasizes on developing an understanding of the connection of the Hindutva’s impact on India’s National Identity and Foreign relations. The dissertation utilizes the theory of Constructivism to understand how the Indian identity has been shaped and the preferable way India wants its identity to be perceived Internationally.