Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar also participated in 'The Debate 2026' organized by Kolkata Press Club on Sunday. During this, while addressing the club on the title 'Hinduism needs protection from Hindutva', he criticized the concept of Hindutva.
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, while criticizing Hindutva, said that Hindutva is a political ideology, whereas Hinduism is a great spiritual religion. He said that Hindutva came in 1923, but Hinduism has existed for thousands of years and is flourishing even without the help of Hindutva.
Mani Shankar Aiyar said that Hindutva is Hinduism in madness. It asks 80% Hindus to tremble before 14% Muslims. Hindutva is a BJP leader slapping a blind, hungry tribal girl as she attends Christmas lunch in church. Hindutva raids shopping malls to tear down Christmas decorations. Savarkar had described Buddhism as a threat to the existence of all Hindus. Iyer said, “He said that this is dangerous for the strength of the country and also for the existence of the Hindu caste.”
The Congress leader has also made a clear difference between Hinduism and Hindutva. He emphasized that Hinduism is a great spiritual religion, while Hindutva is a political path. He also said that Hinduism faced difficulties, yet survived and flourished without the need for the protection of Hindutva.
Mani Shankar Iyer said that Hinduism is a great spiritual religion. Hindutva is a political path. Hindutva came only in 1923; Thousands of years before Hindutva, Hinduism faced hardships and still survived, flourished, and did not need the protection of Hindutva. There is no way that the Hinduism of Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda can be saved or promoted from the Hindutva of Savarkar.
He further said that whereas Savarkar wrote, Hindus consider themselves Hindus through acts of violence. Mahatma wrote, Hindu civilization is old. He is actually non-violent. Mani Shankar Aiyar said, “You have seen that Hindutva people beat and even kill anyone suspected of storing, eating or transporting beef. Whereas Gandhiji had written, killing a person to protect a cow is a denial of Hindutva and non-violence.
