- Mani Shankar Aiyar called Hindutva "Hinduism in paranoia" at a Calcutta Club debate
- Aiyar contrasted Hinduism as spiritual and Hindutva as a political ideology from 1923
- BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized Aiyar, defending Hindutva as integral to Hinduism
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks, in which he said Hindutva is Hinduism in paranoia, have sparked a political row, with the BJP accusing him of insulting Sanatan Dharma.
Aiyar spoke at a debate titled "Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva" at the Calcutta Club yesterday. Hosted by the Calcutta Debating Circle on Sunday, the debate had Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, former MP Swapan Dasgupta, lawyer J Sai Deepak, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, historian Ruchika Sharma and veteran journalist Ashutosh as the other speakers.
"Hindutva is Hinduism in paranoia. It asks 80 per cent Hindus to quiver in front of 14 per cent Muslims. Hindutva is a BJP leader slapping a blind, hungry tribal girl because she attends a Christmas lunch in a Church. Hindutva raids shopping malls to tear down Christmas decorations. Savarkar described Buddhism as an existential threat to all Hindus. He described it as the ultimate negation of Hindutva, bearing the opiate of universalism and nonviolence. He said it was disastrous to national virility and even the existence of the Hindu race," said Aiyar.
Aiyar said Hinduism is a great spiritual religion, and Hindutva is a political tract. "Hinduism is a great spiritual religion. Hindutva is a political tract. Hindutva came in 1923; for thousands of years before Hindutva, Hinduism faced trial and tribulation and yet survived, flourished, with no need of Hindutva protection... There is no way Gandhi's and Swami Vivekananda's Hinduism can be protected or promoted by Savarkar's Hindutva," he said.
"Savarkar wrote 'Hindus understand themselves as Hindus through acts of violence'. The Mahatma wrote that the Hindu has an old-age civilisation and is essentially non-violent. You've seen that Hindutva vigilantes beat up and even kill anyone suspected of hoarding, eating or transporting beef. Gandhiji wrote it is a denial of Hinduism and of Ahimsa to kill a human being to protect a cow," Aiyar said.
The remarks drew a sharp response from the BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi. "Which culture gives you the authority to debate even on religious issues? I would like to ask why the term Hinduism? Why is 'ism' associated with all the religions that originated in India? You have never heard of Islamism and Christianism... The 'ism' world is being associated just to demean, and what Hindutva is, 'Hindu tattva'. The basic immunity of Hinduism is Hindu tattva... Another thing I would like to say, when you cherish Hinduism, it is called Hindutva," he said.
"Mani Shankar Aiyar is at it again. After doing Sena ka apmaan, now it is Sanatan ka apmaan. Mani Shankar Aiyar says Hinduism and Hindutva are different, that Hindutva is violent, and that Hindutva advocates beating up people. This is the same line of Congress that Hindutva is ISIS and Boko Haram," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.
"Rahul Gandhi has also abused Hindutva. This is like saying that Maa and Maatritva (motherhood) are different. Hindutva has been defined by the Supreme Court as a way of life. Yet the Congress party keeps insulting Hindutva," he added.
