> >THE RECENT attack on a member of the Bhandakar Oriental Research
Institute
> >at Pune by an ill-informed mob of one section of nationalists (Shiv
Sena),
> >and the subsequent rampage and destruction of the BORI offices and
library
> >by another (Sambhaji Brigade)
> How prevalant are these sorts of forces in India? And how popular are
they?
Shiv Sena is a fascist organisation. It's strength is concentrated in and around Mumbai. It is a small party in all India terms. But such forces are a significant minority of India's population. BJP and Shiv Sena polled about 25% of total votes polled in the previous election. That's an indication of their electoral strength. But they are highly organised and active, while secular forces are disunited and relatively passive. There are small, but vocal and organised forces of similar kind among Indian Muslims. Indian government has banned Rushdie's novel Satanic Verses, since it was first published. Nationalism is no longer a progressive force in Indian politics.
Ulhas