We are activist-scholars: precisely the kind who are criticised by the Hindu right. As members of the Feminist Critical Hindu Studies Collective, we are committed to examining how the religion called “Hinduism” has been constructed, both in academic research and in Hindu communities. We write both as religious studies scholars and as savarna women of Hindu heritage. We hope that we can share insights that our field brings to an understanding of global Hindutva.
As scholars of religion, we are acutely aware of the ways that colonialism and racism have played a role in shaping academic perspectives on the world. We know that knowledge is never neutral, and that what we study and how we teach has real consequences – sometimes dangerous and violent ones.
Thus, we must always consider what is at stake for others when we do our work. As teachers of Hindu traditions, we think it is vital that we learn how to think critically about what we ourselves have been taught – both…