Music and Politics in Kerala: Hindu Nationalists Versus Marxists

International audiencep. 29, Introduction (...) This article will compare two competing nationalist programmesof Keralite artistic practices. The focus will be on the opposingviews on how to define the concepts of cultural heritage and nationalculture, as well as the different strategies used to spreadthem among the population. We will first present current activitiesand methods used by the Sangh Parivar in artistic fields to spreadits Hindutva ideology to the public at large and especially to theyounger generation. Such activities are mainly based on a process ofSankritisation. An analysis will then be made of the areas covered bythe Kerala government’s cultural policy and its strong impact on theemergence of a ‘regional’ nationalism. Mediated by local folklorists,this policy has acquired the approval of social equality values and hasled to a social reform movement by promoting the arts