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Religious Practices among Indian Hindus: Does that Influence Their Political Choices?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

SANJAY KUMAR
SANJAY KUMAR*
Affiliation:
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
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Abstract

The article focuses on the issue of patterns of religious engagement among Indian Hindus during last decade. It tries to look at both the issue of private religion practiced in the form of offering puja at home and public religion seen in terms of participation in Katha, Satsang, Bhajan-Kirtan etc. by Indian Hindus. Sizeable numbers of Indian Hindus offer puja every day; sizeable numbers of them are also engaged in public religious activities. This is more prevalent among the urban, educated, upper-caste, upper-class Hindus compared to their counterpart. Along with factors, which influence religious practices, is gender. Hindu women are more religious compared to the Hindu men. Similarly, upper-caste Hindus practice religious activities more regularly compared to other Hindus. There is hardly any change in patterns of engagement in religious activities among Hindus over the last five years. The levels of engagement in religious activities also have an impact on voting behavior. The higher the engagement in religious activities, the greater is the support for the BJP and vice versa. Between the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections, there had been a decline in the vote share of BJP due to its declining popularity amongst all the Hindu voters, but the decline in the support for the BJP is much sharper amongst highly religious Hindus compared to those who are not so religious. Along with other factors, this may be one of the important factors that led to the defeat of BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The article draws evidence from the National Election Study 2004 and 2009 conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies during these two elections.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , December 2009 , pp. 313 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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References

1 Cited in Khilnani, Sunil, The Idea of India (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1997), p. 61Google Scholar.

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5 Ibid., p. 4.

6 Ibid., p. 4.

7 Ibid., p. 6.

8 C.J. Fuller, ‘The “Vinayaka Chaturthi” Festival and Hindutva in Tamil Nadu’, Economic and Political Weekly, 12 May 2001, p. 1607.

9 Ibid., p. 1615.

10 Fuller, C. J., ‘Brahman Priests and Hindu Revivalism’, South Indian Studies 1, January 1996, 1–34Google Scholar.

11 Ibid, p. 22.

12 National Election Study (NES) is a nationwide post poll survey conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) soon after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in all states of India. The survey was conducted in 2,380 locations spread across 420 Parliamentary constituencies. The sample of Parliamentary constituencies and locations was drawn randomly using the systematic random method. About 35,360 respondents randomly selected from the electoral rolls were approached for the interviews of which 27,189 were successfully completed. The achieved sample was nationally representative, with 47% women, 79% rural, 80% Hindus, 11% Muslims, 18% Dalits, and 9% Adivasis. The interviews were conducted face-to-face, using a structured interview schedule.

The NES 2009 was conducted at 2,346 locations spread across 536 Parliamentary constituencies. The sample of Parliamentary constituencies and locations was drawn randomly using the systematic random method. About 59,650 respondents randomly selected from the electoral rolls were approached for the interview of which 36,314 were successfully completed. The achieved sample was nationally representative, with 47% women, 73% rural, 81% Hindus, 13% Muslims, 19% Dalits, and 9% Adivasis. The interviews were conducted face-to-face, using a structured interview schedule.

13 Pandey, Gyanendra, ‘The Appeal of Hindu History’, in Dalmia, and Stietencron, (eds.), The Hinduism Reader (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007), p. 348Google Scholar.

14 Nanda, Meera, ‘Rush Hour of the Gods’, New Humanist, 123 (2) (March/April, 2008)Google Scholar.

15 Basu, et al. , Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags: A Critique of the Hindu Right (Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 1993), p. 61Google Scholar.

16 Nanda, Meera, ‘Rush Hour of Gods’, New Humanist, 123 (2) (March–April, 2008)Google Scholar.

17 In this section of the paper, the focus is on participation of the Hindus in public religion. The index of public religion was formed after combining responses to two questions:

‘How regularly does one participate in Katha, Satsang, Sangata, Bhajan-Kirtan, Church Services etc?’

‘How regularly does one visit Temple/Gurdwara/Mosque/Church etc?’ The answer categories were recorded in terms of those who visited these places frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never. Based on the regularity of either practising or visiting these places, the respondents were divided into four broad categories: those who participated very regularly (high participation), medium participation, low participation, and, finally, those who did not participate at all in these public religious activities.