Hindu Mahasabha

The origins of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha can be traced back to the early 20th century, emerging as a reaction to the formation of the All-India Muslim League in 1906 and the subsequent institutionalization of separate electorates under the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909. The earliest structural precursor was the Punjab Hindu Sabha, founded in 1909 by Lal Chand and Shadi Lal, which aimed to protect the socio-economic and political interests of the Hindu community in the wake of shifting colonial administrative policies.

Formal Establishment and Evolution

The pan-Indian entity was formally established as the Sarvadeshik Hindu Sabha at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in April 1915 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandi of Cossimbazar, and other prominent leaders. In 1921, the organization was officially renamed the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha. Initially working in close tandem with the Indian National Congress—with many leaders maintaining concurrent memberships in both organizations—the Mahasabha gradually decoupled from the Congress during the late 1920s and 1930s due to ideological differences regarding communal electorates and minority appeasement policies.

Core Philosophy and Ideological Tenets

Cultural and Political Nationalism

The bedrock philosophy of the Hindu Mahasabha evolved from a defensive socio-religious pressure group into a comprehensive political ideology centered on the concept of cultural nationalism.

• Hindutva (Hinduness): The Mahasabha adopted a distinct definition of a Hindu as formulated by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. A Hindu was defined as anyone who considers the land of Bharatvarsha (from the Indus to the seas) as both their fatherland (Pitribhumi) and their holy land (Punyabhumi). This definition included Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, but excluded Muslims and Christians whose holy lands lay outside the Indian subcontinent.
• Hindu Rashtra: The organization envisioned a unified, secular state based on democratic majoritarianism, where all citizens would enjoy equal rights, but the cultural fabric of the nation would remain rooted in Hindu civilization.
• Akhand Bharat: The Mahasabha strongly opposed any constitutional proposal that threatened the territorial integrity of the Indian subcontinent, advocating for an indivisible, unified India extending from Afghanistan to Myanmar.

Social and Religious Reform

• Anti-Untouchability Campaigns: Under the leadership of Savarkar, the Mahasabha actively campaigned against the birth-based caste system and untouchability. It promoted the temple entry movement and inter-caste dining (Sahabhojan) to achieve social consolidation.
• Shuddhi and Paravartan: To counter Christian and Islamic proselytization, the Mahasabha supported the Shuddhi movement (reconversion) to welcome back individuals who had converted away from the Hindu fold.

Key Ideologues and Leadership Succession

The political and ideological trajectory of the Hindu Mahasabha was steered by several prominent national leaders, legal luminaries, and royal patrons.

Major Political Engagements, Pacts, and Stances

Stance on the Round Table Conferences and Communal Award

The Hindu Mahasabha strongly contested the British Communal Award of 1932, which extended separate electorates to the depressed classes. Dr. B.S. Moonje represented the Mahasabha at the Round Table Conferences in London, where he fiercely opposed the statutory fragmentation of the Hindu electorate and advocated for joint electorates with reservation of seats based on numerical proportions.

World War II and the Policy of Militarization

When World War II broke out in 1939, the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India Movement in 1942 and resigned from provincial ministries. In contrast, the Hindu Mahasabha under Savarkar adopted a policy of responsive cooperation with the British Raj. Savarkar coined the slogan “Militarize Hindudom! Hinduize the Military!”, urging Hindu youths to join the British Indian Army to gain professional military training, which he believed would be vital for the defense of the nation after independence.

Coalition Governments (1941–1943)

Following the resignation of Congress ministries, the Hindu Mahasabha formed opportunistic coalition provincial governments with the All-India Muslim League and other regional parties. Notable instances included the Fazlul Huq-Syama Prasad Mookerjee ministry in Bengal (the Progressive Coalition Ministry) and coalition governments in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Sindh.

Opposition to Partition and the Cabinet Mission

The Mahasabha categorically rejected the Cripps Proposals (1942), the C.R. Formula (1944), the Wavell Plan (1945), and the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946). The organization viewed these initiatives as dangerous concessions that facilitated the balkanization of India and the eventual creation of Pakistan.

Key Civil Services Prelims Facts

Foundational Year and Venue

The organization was established in April 1915 at Haridwar under the temporary name of Sarvadeshik Hindu Sabha, making it one of the oldest political organizations in modern Indian history.

Ideological Text

Essentials of Hindutva, written by V.D. Savarkar in 1923 while imprisoned in Ratnagiri, remains the definitive ideological manual of the organization, providing the political and cultural definition of the term “Hindutva.”

The National Liberal Federation Connection

Leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha frequently interacted with the Moderate and Liberal politicians of India, such as Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and M.R. Jayakar. Jayakar was an active member of both the Swaraj Party and the Hindu Mahasabha, working extensively on constitutional reforms.

Separation from the RSS

While structurally and ideologically sympathetic to each other, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, founded in 1925 by K.B. Hedgewar) remained distinct entities. The RSS chose to remain a non-political, cultural volunteer organization, whereas the Hindu Mahasabha functioned as an active political party contesting elections.

Post-Independence Evolution and Ban

Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse (who had been an active member of the Mahasabha), the organization faced severe state repression and public backlash. The government briefly banned the Mahasabha, prompting Syama Prasad Mookerjee to leave the party after his proposal to open its membership to non-Hindus was rejected. Mookerjee subsequently collaborated with the RSS to establish the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951.