From Milton Keynes to Ayodhya

Abstract

Abstract This chapter illustrates that another key political episode in India’s recent history had global dimensions and repercussions. The Ramjanmabhoomi (Ram birthplace) movement was a major Hindu nationalist campaign to build a temple on the site of a 16th century mosque in the north Indian city of Ayodhya. This culminated, in 1992, with the destruction of the Babri Masjid and some of India’s worst communal violence since Partition. The chapter illustrates how this superficially domestic issue was a key moment for the engagement of the diaspora. This coincided with India’s late-20th century “saffron wave,” which ultimately led to the election of the first BJP government. The chapter focuses partly on a watershed moment for Hindu nationalism in Britain, the 1989 Virat Hindu Sammelan--a festival attended by c. 100,000 Hindus in Milton Keynes--the product of the long diasporic development of Hindu nationalism. It engaged a wide range of global Hindutva leaders and gurus, and developed the organizational skills of dedicated local organizers. They would continue to be key figures in UK Hindu nationalism in subsequent years. The chapter also explores the global significance of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, one of the leading Hindutva organizations which was at the forefront of the Ram temple movement.