Lecture
India to Bharat: From Nation-State to Civilizational State and the Lessons for Europe
- Sachin Nandha
- Date
- Friday 27 June 2025
- Time
- Location
-
Wijnhaven
Turfmarkt 99
2511 DP The Hague - Room
- 2.01
Hedgewar's role in shaping modern India's civilizational identity
On the international stage, India is increasingly presenting itself as ‘Bharat’. Prime Minister Modi and his party, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), aim to transform India from a nation-state into a civilizational state. The core belief is that India can only become strong and prosperous by reinforcing its thousands-of-years-old civilization as the foundation for a modern nation.
To outsiders, it can be difficult to understand how India intends—and is able—to achieve this, given its staggering diversity of languages and dialects, local and regional cultures, religions and sub-religions, ethnicities and class structures. Add to that the differences in climate zones, geography, urban-rural dynamics, and coastal-inland regions, all of which deeply shape people’s identities. And yet, despite all this—and despite the skepticism following independence in 1947—India remains one country: the world’s largest democracy. How is this possible?
One key figure in this story is Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He is seen as one of the ideological fathers behind the BJP’s civilizational thinking. What role did Hedgewar play in the past, and in what context did he operate? How did he attempt to reduce communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims? How did his vision of a ‘Modern India’ differ from that of Gandhi and Nehru? And most importantly: what lessons can we draw from this for strengthening European civilization?
You are warmly invited to explore these questions with us!
On Friday, June 27, we will engage in an interactive conversation with Sachin Nandha, who recently authored the first comprehensive biography of Hedgewar and his philosophy. To do so, he traveled extensively throughout India—and now, he’s eager to share his insights and, above all, answer your questions (for which we will allow plenty of time)!
We hope to see you then and look forward to welcoming you
