Marginalized, Mobilized, Incorporated: Women and Religious Nationalism in Indian Democracy

Women's participation in Hindu nationalist politics in India has changed over time, from marginalization to mobilization to incorporation. Rina Verma Williams' book "Marginalized, Mobilized, Incorporated, and Rina Verma Williams" examines the impact of this changing participation on women, Hindu nationalism, and Indian democracy. The BJP's incorporation of women into its structures and activities has advanced its electoral success, but it has not been emancipatory for women, whose participation is still predicated on traditional gender ideologies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The participation of women in Hindu nationalist politics in India has undergone a significant transformation over time. In her book "Marginalized, Mobilized, Incorporated, and Rina Verma Williams explores the changing involvement of women in the All-India Hindu Mahasabha (HMS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two of the most important Hindu nationalist political parties in modern Indian history.

Williams argues that the participation of women in Hindu nationalist politics has evolved through three critical periods. In the early 1900s, the HMS marginalized women, relegating them to secondary roles within the party. However, in the 1980s, the BJP began to mobilize women, recognizing their potential as a powerful voting bloc. In the contemporary period, as the BJP returned to power in 2014, it has incorporated women into its structures and activities, giving them more prominent roles and responsibilities.

One of the key findings of Williams' book is that the incorporation of women into Hindu nationalist politics has significantly advanced the BJP's electoral success compared to prior periods. Women's participation in BJP politics has helped to normalize religious nationalism in Indian democracy, making it more acceptable to a broader range of voters. However, incorporation has not been emancipatory for women, whose participation in BJP politics is still predicated on traditional gender ideologies that tether women to their social roles in the home and family.

Williams includes interviews with key BJP leaders, visual campaign materials, and an examination of major campaign events to construct an unmatched before-and-after view of India's watershed 2014 elections. The book provides a detailed account of how women's participation in Hindu nationalist politics has evolved and the challenges and opportunities that it presents for women, Hindu nationalism, and Indian democracy.

In conclusion, the participation of women in Hindu nationalist politics in India has undergone a significant transformation over time. While the BJP's incorporation of women has advanced its electoral success, it has not been emancipatory for women, whose participation is still predicated on traditional gender ideologies. The book "Marginalized, Mobilized, Incorporated, and Rina Verma Williams provides a valuable insight into the changing dynamics of women's participation in Hindu nationalist politics and its implications for women, Hindu nationalism, and Indian democracy.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197567210