The rhetoric of Hindu nationalism: A narrative of mythic redefinition

Abstract

Like nationalist parties across the globe, Hindu nationalist parties have taken strong positions on issues relating to national identity. In this essay, we argue that Hindu nationalist rhetoric possesses a mythic narrative structure, which is tied to the broad rhetorical situation facing any nationalist movement that is outside the mainstream power structure in a society. We further argue that there are a limited number of narrative patterns that are often called for by a restricted set of rhetorical situations. We also propose a relationship between narrative and generic theory, suggesting a means of expanding the applicability of generic criticism.