Abstract:

R. Sen & W. Wagner (2005).
History, Emotions and Hetero-Referential Representations
in Inter-Group Conflict: The Example of Hindu-Muslim
Relations in India.
Papers on Social Representations, 14, pages 2.1-2.23
[http://www.psr.jku.at/]

Drawing on interviews with Hindu and Muslim respondents
on the symbols involved in Hindu-revivalism in India, the
paper exemplifies how the politics of Hindutva impacts on
the thinking of common man. Hindutva ideology is based on
historical events that are given particular interpretations in
the interest of power politics. It is shown how the popular
representations of history are being reframed and interrelated
to convey justification and to endow them with the emotional
force for mass-action to serve as tools in populist ideologues’
claims. The findings are analysed and discussed in terms of
social representation theory. It is argued that representations
of historical events form a narrative network that fuels
cognition, emotions, and actions of followers. The frameworks
existing in each of the two groups is shown to be highly
interdependent in their mutual reference to the Other.