Manuvāda

The term Manuvāda (also Manuvād, Manuwād, Hindi मनुवाद) denotes the ethos of a society governed by Manusmṛti, with the term Manuvādi denoting a proponent of such an ethos.

In contemporary discourse, these terms (especially the latter) are often used oppositionally by Muslims, Dalits, Buddhists, and others to contrast their positions, interests, and viewpoints with a society that is informed by and/or identifies with Manuvāda, particularly with respect to caste.

Hindu nationalism

The term came to the fore in the politics of India in the early 2000s, during the government of the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The term came to be used for the allegation of a hidden agenda of the nationalist parties by their opponents; in 2003, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati remarked that "the Lok Sabha had been taken over by Manuvadi forces."

References

• Shashi Shekhar Sharma, Imagined Manuvād: the Dharmaśāstras and their interpreters, Rupa & Co., 2005

See also

• Caste politics in India
• Sanatani
• Hindu law
• Classical Hindu law