Hindutva terrorism

Hindutva terrorism (also known as Hindu terrorism or saffron terror) refers to terrorist acts carried out on the basis of motivations in broad association with Hindu nationalism or Hindutva.

The phenomenon became a topic of contentious political discourse in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 attacks, which targeted Pakistanis and Muslims in India, where the accused were members, or alleged members, of Hindu nationalist organisations such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Abhinav Bharat.

Terminology

The term "saffron terror" was coined in 2002 by the Indian journalist Praveen Swami after the 2002 Gujarat riots, and gained popularity in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 attacks which targeted Pakistanis and Muslims and were reportedly instigated by people affiliated with Hindu nationalist organisations like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Abhinav Bharat. The term comes from the symbolic use of the saffron colour by many Hindu nationalist organisations.

Several analysts and commentators have said that the term was being used as a smear tactic against the political opponents of Congress in the aftermath of the attacks. Kanchan Gupta and Swapan Dasgupta have said that investigators of the attacks were using the term "saffron terror" in their statements to the media to promote the agenda of the Congress.

According to Nikita Saxena writing for The Caravan, the term "Hindu terrorism" gained traction in the wake of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings and 2008 Malegaon blasts. A prominent reference to "Hindu terrorism" was made by Indian National Congress (INC; also known as the "Congress") member Digvijaya Singh in a 2007 campaign. Writer and activist Subhash Ghatade asserts that "most critics" have avoided describing the term as "Hindu terrorism" and instead talked about "Hindutva terrorism". Political scientist Jyotirmaya Sharma argues that "there is no Hindu terrorism" because the perpetrators do not represent the Hindu faith.