Hinduism
| Hinduism link (religion) | |
|---|---|
| File:Hinduism cow.png | |
| A religion traditionally mostly in India. |
Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life. It is the world's third-largest religion, with over 1.16 billion followers, or roughly 15% of the global population, known as Hindus. Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in India, Nepal and Mauritius. Significant numbers of Hindu communities are found in Southeast Asia including in Bali, Indonesia and the Caribbean.
Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism is one of the oldest ideological streams in India. It took shape in the 1920s soon after the first Indian communist party and before the first Indian socialist party. In fact, it runs parallel to the dominant Indian political tradition, the Congress, which Gandhi transformed into a mass organization in the 1920s. Hindu nationalism then developed an alternative political culture to the dominant idiom in Indian politics.[1]
Parties claiming to be inspired by Hinduism include the current Shiv Sena. Parties alleged to be Hindu nationalist (although the parties themselves deny it) include: Jana Sangha and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP is a right-wing party, and its policy has historically reflected Hindu nationalist positions, advocating social conservatism and a foreign policy centred on nationalist principles.