Martialing Sacred Texts

Ram’s Name and Story in Late Twentieth-Century Indian Politics

Abstract

This paper investigates the instrumentalization of sacred texts and devotional traditions in the political rise of Hindu nationalism during the late 20th century, particularly through the Ram Janmabhumi movement. Linda Hess critically examines how the name and story of Ram—especially as depicted in the Ramcharitmanas and Ram-lila traditions—were reinterpreted to support militant and sectarian ideologies. Drawing from her fieldwork and textual studies, Hess outlines how concepts traditionally linked to bhakti (personal devotion and surrender) were strategically reframed to serve the ideological needs of organizations like the RSS, VHP, and BJP.

Hess contrasts this politicized bhakti with Mahatma Gandhi’s invocation of Ramrajya as an inclusive and nonviolent ideal, showing how post-independence Hindu nationalism marked a dramatic shift toward aggressive rhetoric and action. Key figures like B.G. Tilak and Uma Bharati reimagined sacred texts such as the Ramcharitmanas and Bhagavad Gita as exhortations to militant struggle, casting Muslims as modern "demons" (rakshasas) and glorifying martyrdom through the language of vows (pan/pran), masculine virtue (vira), and righteous vengeance.

The article shows how the symbolic power of Ram’s story was marshaled to galvanize support for temple construction at Ayodhya, legitimize communal violence, and erode the secular foundations of Indian democracy. Hess thus reveals how religious devotion, far from being politically neutral, became a volatile tool in the construction of a majoritarian Hindu identity.