Ramjanmabhumi: Hinduizing Politics and Militarizing Hindudom 121cal orthodoxy all contributed to the growing Hindu communalism. The
most important of all these, however, was a particular Hindu understand-
ing of history and the quest for its vindication.
The communal neo-Hindus can be broadly divided into three groups,
with their primary focus on the themes of innocence, somaticity, and
strength. With the "blessings and benedictions" of all different religious
figures, such as the sadhus, sants, mahants, purohits, sankaracharyas, and
their respective cults, the VHP emerged in 1964 as a single powerful group
to protect their "innocent" faith. The First World Hindu Conference was
held at Allahabad (VHP prefers the pre-Mughal name of Prayag) in 1966
and the Second World Hindu Conference in 1979. It was claimed at the
1966 meeting that the last known gathering of Hindu leaders took place
in 648 C.E.^39 The VHP was founded to consolidate and strengthen the
Hindu society; to protect, develop, and spread the Hindu values; and to
help all Hindus living abroad. Being aware of the fact that Hindus both in
Hindusthan and abroad need an awakening into their essential unity in
philosophy, religion, and culture, and that the Hindu world should save
itself from Christianity, Islam, and communism, this central organization
helps, among other things, "to supply the pure spirit of the Hindu way of
life."^40
Even as early as 1939, Savarkar clarified that religious questions would
be left to "different Hindu schools of religious persuasions," and that the
Hindu Mahasabha would not be a "Hindu Dharma Sabha" but a "Hindu
Rashtra Sabha."^41 Thus the Mahasabha, which was also often referred to
by Savarkar as the Hindu Sanghatan movement, represented the Hindu
somatic. For him, the party "will always prove a sure and devoted source
of strength, a reserve force for the Hindus to fall back upon to voice their
grievances more effectively than the joint Parliament can do, to scent dan-
ger ahead, to warn the Hindus in time against it and to fight out if needs be
any treacherous design to which the joint State itself may unwittingly fall
a victim."^42 The All India Hindu Sabha was founded in 1915, and the first
session was held at Hardwar with Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandi
as president. It was registered under the Societies Registration Act on
December 13, 1917, at Lucknow, and in April 1921 its name was changed
to the All India Hindu Mahasabha.^43
The Hindu Mahasabha used to work in close collaboration with the Con-
gress. The Mahasabha was a forum within the Congress that was used by
Mahasabha members to express Hindu views and to work for the protec-
tion of Hindu interests, but not necessarily as an anti-Muslim group. Some
leaders, such as Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Lajpat Rai, were promi-
nent in both the Congress and the Mahasabha, and served as president
of both. Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, C.R. Das,
Moti Lai Nehru, and the Ali brothers attended the Mahasabha's Belgaon
session in December 1924. However, the 10th session of the Mahasabha,