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QuesƟons de Recherche / Research in QuesƟon
N° 34 - Décembre 2010

Refining the “ModeraƟon Thesis” Regarding
“Radical ParƟes”
The Jana Sangh and the BJP between Hindu NaƟonalism and
CoaliƟon PoliƟcs in India

Christophe Jaffrelot

Centre d’études et de recherches internaƟonales
Sciences Po

QuesƟons de recherche / Research in quesƟon – n° 34 – Décembre 2010 hƩp://www.ceri-sciences-po.org/publica/qdr.htm 1

Refining the “ModeraƟon Thesis” Regarding “Radical ParƟes”
The Jana Sangh and the BJP between Hindu NaƟonalism and CoaliƟon PoliƟcs in India1

Summary
The inclusion of Hindu naƟonalist parƟes in India’s democraƟc process has not resulted in their moderaƟon in a linear way. Since 1947, the parƟes have oscillated between a sectarian strategy of religious mobilizaƟon and a more moderate one respecƟng the secular norms of the ConsƟtuƟon. Whether the Hindu naƟonalist parƟes opted for the path of radicalizaƟon or that of moderaƟon has chiefly depended on their relaƟon with their mother organizaƟon, the RSS, the percepƟon of the Muslims that prevails at a given Ɵme in India, of the aƫtude of the other parƟes regarding secularism and – in correlaƟon with the variables menƟoned above – of the most effecƟve electoral tacƟc.

Résumé
L’intégraƟon des parƟs naƟonalistes hindous dans le processus démocraƟque ne les a pas amenés à davantage de modéraƟon de façon linéaire. Depuis 1947, ces parƟs ont oscillé entre une stratégie sectaire de mobilisaƟon religieuse et une autre, plus modérée impliquant le respect des normes sécularistes de la ConsƟtuƟon. Le choix de l’une ou l’autre de ces stratégies a dépendu jusqu’à présent de la relaƟon du parƟ vis-à-vis de l’organisaƟon dont il procède, le RSS, de la percepƟon dominante des Musulmans à un moment donné, de l’aƫtude des autres parƟs vis-à-vis du sécularisme et – en liaison avec ces variables – de la meilleure tacƟque électorale.

Christophe Jaffrelot is Senior Research Fellow at CERI, a Research

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