Crisis as Opportunity: The Politics of ‘Seva’ and the Hindu Nationalist Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerala, South India

The paper examines how Hindu nationalist social service organizations, specifically the Deseeya Seva Bharathi (DSB), reconfigured religious conception of ‘Seva’ to advance project constructing a identity during COVID-19 pandemic in state Kerala. southern Indian Kerala has remained an exception story rise movement contemporary India, which repeatedly failed make any considerable political inroads state. However, disastrous economic consequences and livelihood challenges state, was heavily dependent on foreign remittance industries, have opened up new spaces engagement for nationalists. Drawing fieldwork conducted central pandemic, this will elaborate DSB used crisis moment reach out economically socially disadvantaged communities using language build identity, imbues influence majoritarian politics. argues that DSB’s articulation as distinct superior form is ‘self-less’, ‘non-instrumental’ ‘non-reciprocal’ significant understanding growing appeal contested sphere Kerala, marked by competing provisions well other secular groups. notes reconfiguration continuous concept enables nationalists attain greater acceptance legitimacy even welfare could not achieve, while also concealing inherent instrumental nature its towards construction region.