The term 'nation' is defined differently by different sources. One definition is: "A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language."

Hindu nationalism can be defined as the tendency of Hindus to define themselves as a nation. It is often said that the late 1980's and 90's saw an upsurge of Hindu nationalism in India. Translated into the realm of politics, this resulted in an increased tendency for Hindus to define their political activity in terms of common Hindu interests.

Historically, strong nationalistic tendencies emerge amongst peoples during times of struggle or in the face of real or perceived threats. For example, Scottish nationalism emerged through struggle with the English, and draws its sustenance from the memories of this struggle. The same is the case with Hindu nationalism. The formation of a strong Hindu identity has its roots in the trials and tribulations of the struggles against the Muslim and European colonialisms.

In the late 80's and 90's the rapid increase in Hindu nationalism was a product of many perceived challenges. There was a general sense of anxiety amongst Hindus about their collective future, as well as a feeling that the secular Indian state was not capable of safeguarding their collective interests, being neutral if not hostile to their cultural norms. Gradually, this feeling spread to Hindus living in other countries too, particularly Hindus in the UK and USA.

It can be appreciated that the emergence of nationalism is a natural phenomenon, brought about by certain circumstances. It can sometimes be a constructive force, and sometimes destructive, depending on how it is harnessed.

There is a danger that nationalism can cloud clear thinking, leading the nation to forego its identification and responsibility towards humanity as a whole. This can lead to excesses, and even genocides, as has been witnessed on numerous occasions throughout history.

Today, we see a great many Hindus who place a strong emphasis on identifying Hindus together as a nation. Amongst the international Hindu community, information flow through the medium of the Internet has spawned a whole generation of vocal Hindu hyper-nationalists, who are full of grievances at the harm suffered by Hindus today and in the past.

While these individuals may be well intentioned (at the beginning at least), an overly negative perspective has served to distance these Hindus from the principles of Hinduism itself, as well as rendering them incapable of doing much service to the cause that they claim to profess. They spend their time in narrow circles indulging in conspiracy theories, failing to understand that the great Hindu men and women of the past employed very different means to uplift their people.

True Hinduism can never accept injustice lying down, but at the same time it cannot support an over emphasis on nationalism unless the nationalism is informed by a greater spirit, by a spirit of dharma and universalism.

Hindu pluralistic ideas are of universal value, and can help humanity emerge victorious from many contemporary struggles, such as the prevalence of mental illness, religious conflict, consumerism and the breakdown in family structure, to name but a few.

The very vocal nature of these Hindu hyper-nationalists has done a disservice to Hinduism, because through their actions, universal Hindu ideas become associated with a narrow-nationalism, and therefore become limited in their appeal. Due to the minority of hyper-nationalist Hindus, sensible-minded Hindu groups in the West often end up getting labelled as Hindu nationalists or even fanatics simply for speaking up for common sense Hindu issues such trying to increase their temple's car parking space or teaching Hinduism in schools.

The need of today are Hindus who have grasped the universal nature of Hinduism and who can implement constructive solutions for applying Hindu ideas into modern life, as well as to redress Hindu grievances in a way that is in agreement with Hindu dharma.