Hindutva, the ideology of militant Hindu nationalism, has precipitated violent hatreds between the Hindus and Muslims of India, as was evidenced in the recent rioting in the State of Gujarat, which was unprecedented in history. The factors which led to the emergence of Hindutva are reviewed and the hollowness of the ideology exposed. It is imperative to critique Hindutva's communalist approach and make concrete efforts to debunk it, it is argued.
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