Nationalism and Anti-Caste Radicalism
The Self-respect movement was not merely a social reform movement. Rather, it considered itself espousing and representing an alternative politics and one in which social concerns were as central to its vision of an ideal polity as political ones. This politics was defined in two ways: as a critique of and in contrast to Congress nationalism; and as political Non-brahminism. Self-respecters prised apart Congress Nationalism and subjected its truth claims and patriotic rhetoric to relentless critical interrogation. Gandhi proved a frustrating object of critique for them: intrigued as well as irritated by his moral creed, they yet dared to disagree...