There is an oft-quoted line in Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, 'Dhol ganwar shudra pashu nari sakal taadan ke adhikari.' Its translation has been the subject of great debate. The most common translation has been, 'Drums, buffoons, servants, animals and women are deserving of reprimand.' It has been used to indicate the feudal nature of Hinduism. Naturally, there are many who oppose it.

The accusers are often commonly grouped as Left Wing while the defenders are grouped as Right Wing. The Left sees itself as 'accurate' and calls the Right as 'deniers' and 'apologists'. The Right sees itself as 'misunderstood' and the Left as suffering from 'saviour-complex'. Academia and media tends to lean towards the Left, though currently many are questioning the excesses of the Left, and are turning Right. The Left would like to believe that everyone on the Right is a goon. And the Right would like to brand everyone on the Left as anti-national (after cleverly turning patriotism in India into a code for Hinduism). And so, the battle lines are drawn.