Author: Banerjee Sikata
Place: USA
Publisher: Westview Press
Year: 2000
Pages: 207
ISBN: 0-8133-3699-6
Subject: Bombay/ Mumbai
Sub-Subject: Bombay
Keyword: Shiv Sena, Nationalism, Violence, Mumbai Riots, Ethnic Conflict, Political Mobilization
Classification: 320
Shelf: C6R6
Accession No: B61
Contents: Contents : Acknowledgements; Introduction;_x000D_ 1. Theoretical Dichotomies; 2. Incidents of Violence; 3. Economic Dislocations; 4. Political Dislocations; 5. Mobilization of the Shiv Sena; 6. Masculine Hinduism; 7. The future of Secular Democracy; _x000D_ 8. Conclusions; Selected Glossary; Selected Bibliography; index
Abstract: The book *Warriors in Politics* examines the relationship between nationalism and violence through the lens of the Mumbai riots of December 1992 and January 1993. Rejecting the notion that ethnic or religious conflicts arise from ancient hatreds, the author adopts a “manipulation” perspective, emphasizing how political actors construct and mobilize nationalist identities by manipulating social, political, economic, and ideological factors. Focusing on the Indian political party Shiv Sena, the study explores how the party shaped a militant form of nationalism that contributed to the riots. Drawing on firsthand interviews conducted while living in Mumbai during the unrest, the author offers a grounded and insightful analysis that connects economic distress, political ambition, and ideological narratives. A key contribution of the book is its exploration of how masculinity and militarism are embedded in nationalist rhetoric, showing how gendered ideologies bolster violent political movements. The study underscores that conflict is not inevitable among diverse communities but is often manufactured by political interests seeking power through exclusionary nationalism. The book thus provides a nuanced understanding of how nationalism, when weaponized through strategic manipulation, can escalate tensions into violence, especially in contexts marked by social and economic instability.