Nationalist Fluctuations: from Gandhian Ethics to Hindu Nationalism in the Political Trajectory of Vallabhbhai Patel

This article explores Gandhi’s philosophy and methods of political struggle through the prism of their perception and appropriation by Vallabhbhai Patel, a key disciple of Gandhi and an influential political leader in the nationalist struggle for Indian independence. By means of a systematic and nua...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martínez Saavedra, Beatriz, Banerjee, Ishita
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:México
Institución:EL COLEGIO DE MÉXICO
Repositorio:Estudios de Asia y África
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:oai.estudiosdeasiayafrica.colmex.mx:article/2205
Acceso en línea:https://estudiosdeasiayafrica.colmex.mx/index.php/eaa/article/view/2205
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Gandhi
Patel
anti-colonial nationalism
hindu nationalism
nacionalismo anticolonial
nacionalismo hindú
Descripción
Sumario:This article explores Gandhi’s philosophy and methods of political struggle through the prism of their perception and appropriation by Vallabhbhai Patel, a key disciple of Gandhi and an influential political leader in the nationalist struggle for Indian independence. By means of a systematic and nuanced analysis of Patel’s political career, it highlights how Gandhi’s ideas, premised on a politics governed by the moral and the ethical, lent themselves to distinct and contradictory deployments. The blending of the religious and the political in Gandhi’s thought and its particular adaptation by the discourse of Hindu (cultural) nationalism enabled Vallabhbhai to move from Gandhian nationalism to a Hindu nationalism that was hostile to minorities. The career of Vallabhbhai underscores the intimate links between anti-colonial nationalism and militant Hindu nationalism that coexisted in the same context, and induced a culture of social polarization still prevalent in the ways of political mobilization.