A Personal Tribute to Ninian Smart

The assertion of Hindu identity in contemporary India takes two characteristic forms: organized movements notable for their effective action; and uncontrolled mob violence. Understanding this apparent paradox entails both general religio-historical explanation and culturally specific interpretation. From a general perspective, organized movements and mob violence each offers a means of identifying with the same religious object—in this case, the Hindu nation, newly valorized in urban India. But the specific relationship between the two can be interpreted through themes of control and violence in Shaivite myth.