Hinduthva, Globalisation And The Youth:  A Study of Civil Society in Dakshina Kannada

Dr.Rajarama Tolpady, Mangalore Unviersity

The responses of the youth to the process of globalisation and their shifting political loyalties (towards Hinduthva) are the main focus of this report by Dr.Rajarama Tolpady. The study analyses the emergence of Hinduthva as a political ideology in India and the character of its political dynamics. The intervention caused by globalisation and its impact on India is also examined. The report discusses the strategies adopted by Hinduthva forces to come to prominence in Dakshina Kannada and demonstrates as to how it coincides with the advent of globalisation. It also provides the context of Hinduthva and globalisation in Dakshina Kannada and the shift of political loyalty among the youth who in the name of countering globalization seem to be falling prey to fundamentalist framework.

 The study has adopted a combination of survey and the interview methods. The interesting part of the report is that one can get the nuances of the various responses expressed by the youths to the complex phenomenon of globalisation. The report has four sections. Section-1 contains a brief description of the socio-political milieu of the Dakshina Kannada region. Section-2 briefly discusses the reasons for the emergence of Hinduthva ideology and the strategies adopted by its proponents to come to prominence in the region. Section-3 analyses the advent of globalisation and its impact on Indian society, polity and culture. The last section concentrates on the interaction of Hinduthva and globalisation and its impact on civil society vis-à-vis youth.