Introduction 7on no historiographical principles and methods or a moral position. Just
as Goebbels used lies when they could not be disproved, Hindutva history
makes profuse use of lies and distortions. For instance, a broadcast from
the German radio station at Zeeson claimed in January 1941, "The German
people respect Mahatma Gandhi as much as Adolf Hitler. Herr Hitler has
the same principle as Mahatma Gandhi. National-Socialism also teaches
non-violence."^13 One is reminded of the Sangh Parivar's rhetorical com-
mitment to "Gandhian Socialism," "Gandhian Swadeshi," and "Gandhian
Ramarajya" and blatant distortions in history production.
Third, like charity, propaganda begins at home. Propaganda to the
home front must reinforce the anxiety about the consequences of defeat
so that complacency and inactivity would not set in among the rank and
file. Goebbels used this strength-through-fear as a convenient strategy of
terror to terrorize the enemies. He tried to prevent his people from being
frustrated by immunizing them against false hopes, but when frustration
could not be avoided, he sought to diminish its impact by eliminating the
element of surprise or shock and placing the frustration in perspective.
Having aroused the karsevaks (religious volunteers) with their interpreta-
tion of history and dealt with the frustrations of the aroused "Hindus" in
a much similar way, the Sangh Parivar eventually let loose their fear-terror
psychosis into action in Ayodhya in December 1992.
Fourth, propaganda should facilitate the displacement of the in-group
aggression onto the out-group(s). Jews and Bolsheviks and Muslims were/
are the respective victims. Fifth, there is a set of strategies for propaganda
to be effective and efficient. It must evoke the interest of the audience and
hence must be transmitted through attention-getting media such as visual
images and motion pictures. Goebbels was inclined to employ all media
simultaneously so as to widen his scope. Hindutva history makes intel-
ligent use of print media, audio, video, and all other available channels
to reach its unsophisticated target audience. As propagandists must have
access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion, the Sangh
Parivar efficiently employs its national network in information-gathering
activities. When operational information is not available for an effective
propaganda campaign, "news" should be created through action. The var-
ious rathyatras (processions), sammelans (conventions), and sansads (con-
ferences) are intended for just that purpose.
For Goebbels, propaganda must label events and people with distinc-
tive phrases or slogans, such as schleichende Krise (creeping crisis), which
he used to describe the socio-economic-political unrest in England in early
- For him, the phrases and slogans must evoke desired responses of
which the audience was previously aware that were easy to learn, that
could be utilized again and again, and that were boomerang-proof. "Man-
dir Wahin Banayenge" (We'll build the temple right there) and pseudo-
secularism are some of the popular slogans of the Hindutva forces that