militant hinduism. 265
Many who soaked in the TV “Ramayana”—Muslims among them—cringe at the
idea of trying to play it out against the landscape of Indian politics today. But for
some, Ayodhya and places like it are the natural theater where “Hindu sentiments,”
purportedly wounded for centuries, can be healed. How large a group is this, and
can they succeed in persuading others to join their cause in a sustained way? Only
time will tell.