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RSS- What is the truth!

Most Indians who do not like BJP and its Pariwar, and all those who are with BJP and its Pariwar, know that RSS stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which in English roughly means, National Voluntary Organization. So RSS also shall mean NVO. And there are also Indians and even foreigners who know only the acronym and not its elongated form still dislike & hate it because, all its members are Hindus although there are both Muslims and Christians, may be few in number, compared to Hindus.

In trying to understand the rationale of opposition, dislike or hatred for RSS, if it was called as NVO or National Voluntary Organization, perhaps the opposition, dislike or hatred to this NVO, even as part of BJP family, could have been far more tempered. Reason for this reasoning is RSS is a Hindi set of words, which is an Indian language, but NVO is an English set of words and therefore could have been better received, if not accepted.

Be that as it may, RSS is an organization established on 27^th September 1925, that is some 93 years ago. So RSS will complete 100 years in another 7 years or so. It is reportedly the largest voluntary organization in the entire world of homo sapiens, with membership of over 10,000,000 with over 60,000 branches all over India. Clearly it has spread far and wide within the geographical area of India. For whatever reasons, it is perceived as anti Muslim. But in public space there is a clear dislike and hatred from both Muslims and Christians. With lingual facility Christians’ usage of words are more sharp and hateful especially in social media. Surprisingly I have not come across any RSS member rebutting these hatred or paying back the compliments of hate mongers. If one is itching for a duel, the other side apparently is ignoring the bait, at least there appears to be no tension in the air with so much hatred poured out on different media platforms.

In the atmosphere of ongoing onslaught on RSS, for former President Pranab Mukherjee to accept to be a guest of honour in a passing out parade of RSS cadres did make its expected tremor within a section of liberal intellectuals in general and Congress Party in particular. Congress Party employed just about anybody, including his daughter, to dissuade Pranab Mukherjee from gracing the function at RSS head quarters in Nagpur.

In the event, it was a kind of an anti-climax. There was no earthquake. He made some staid speech with worn out phrase of pluralism and secularism etc. On their part RSS leadership took it up with equally staid response. But their purpose of calling the former president was believed to have been achieved. Pranab Mukherjee is a Congressman of over 50 years affiliation. For such a person to have accepted to grace a function and make a speech, has certainly lent credibility to RSS, which was a whipping horse for most opposition parties, with Congress being its biggest and relentless critic. Like senior commentator TR Ramachandran puts it “By going to Nagpur, Mukherjee has shown that he is a Gandhian and that nobody is a pariah or an untouchable”. This, to a great extent is true. Besides, he was not the first of those VIPs who mattered, visited RSS head quarters in Nagpur. In the past, important dignitaries without any previous connections with Sangh have graced RSS functions. They were Mahatma Gandhi, Jaya Prakash Narayan, General Cariappa, to name some.

According to available information, visiting an RSS rally in Delhi on 16.9.1947, Mahatma Gandhi had remarked “When I visited the RSS camp, I was very much impressed by its discipline and the complete absence of untouchability”.

In May 1939, Dr BR Ambedkar had remarked “I am surprised to find Swayamsevaks moving about in absolute equality and brotherhood without ever caring to know the caste of others” while on his visit to RSS Pune Camp.

TR Ramachandran informs, “Considering RSS role in the 1962 war against China, Nehru invited RSS to participate in the Republic Day Parade”. So why many of its detractors and critics have dubbed RSS ‘fascist’?

Most of the contemporary criticism stems from the fact of Nathuram Godse, a former member of RSS having Mahatma Gandhi shot dead on 30^th January 1948. In fact the current president of Congress, Rahul Gandhi, ill equipped with inadequate information and some preconceived notion has accused RSS as the killers of Mahatma Gandhi. And Indians are privy to the knowledge that RSS has taken Rahul Gandhi to court for defamation.

Thus the question persists, why there is so much dislike or hatred of RSS among some so-called liberal Hindus and of course Muslims and Christians of India?

There are arguments thrown up accusing RSS as not having taken part in independence movement. Although, RSS do not seem to dismiss that they did not take part in the independence movement, their contention was that they didn’t want RSS to be banned by the Britishers, but there were many members of RSS who took part in the independence movement at individual level, including Dr. Hedgewar, the principal architect of RSS.

Thus there is no clarity about what wrong RSS have really committed to attract so much attack from all and sundry. Coming to the issue of perceived enmity of RSS towards Muslims there appears to be some complex turn of events. Most important of them is the Khilafat movement where Congress joined hands with Khilafat committee to promote the cause of Indian independence and the movement to save Caliphate in Turkey. Prima facie, the objective of this association looked rather weird. Although due to this Hindu/Muslim unity for independence seems to have worked for some time. But political developments in Turkey led to the establishment of a secular government under Kamal Ata Turk, who abolished Caliphate. This greatly disappointed Indian Muslims and their association with Hindus in India broke up. According to one source they were not comfortable with peaceful movement of Mahatma Gandhi and they killed some 22 policemen in Chauri Chaura, sometime in 1922. Soon thereafter there was religious violence between Hindus and Muslims. According to details available Hindus suffered a great deal of life and property. This led to churning among Hindu leadership which greatly yearned for better organization among Hindus. RSS started by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was the culmination of these developments. Idea was to counter Muslim aggressiveness and develop Hindu self defense, they aver.      

Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a medical doctor, is reputed to have established this Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1925, in the Central Indian City of Nagpur. Born on 1^st April 1889, young Keshav was a deeply committed man, to his ideal of a free and prosperous India. Being a staunch Hindu, he was convinced, seeing the things around him in his prime that Hindus lack self-respect, unity and cohesion among themselves. Although, he was involved in Congress Party activities, he was a worried man about the lot of Hindus in a country that had over 80% Hindus those days. Thus, he is reported to have written in his diary “Mutual distrust and ill-will, personal and caste rivalries, Brahmin and non-Brahmin controversy have all raised their ugly heads. No organization or institution seem to be free from these internal squabbles and utter lack of discipline” 

Inspired by the speeches of Swami Vivekananda young Keshav dreamt of realizing Swami Vivekananda’s India, where everyone is bold, strong and self-confident. This, Keshav Hedgewar felt, was not possible through Congress and therefore thought of a separate organization that would have its own objectives. The thought that a handful of British were able to rule over a vast country like India, was very disturbing to Hedgewar.

Many political and social developments made his resolve tougher to organize Hindus as a cohesive, disciplined force thinking about the nation first. Thus was born Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. In early days, there was a desire of making India a Hindu Rashtra or Nation of Hindus, which over the years appears to have toned down.

Franklin Monteiro, a practicing Roman Catholic Christian of Mangalooru, is all gaagaa about his association with R.S.S. According to him he joined the local Shakha (branch of RSS) as a child, involved basically in games, drills, exercise etc. He is an active member of RSS since over 40 years. ‘I was never made to feel as an alien in the crowd of all Hindus. No questions were raised about the religion of participants even once. In fact, I was allowed to attend to all my Church obligations first and then to the Shakha activities’ was his considered stand.

According to him, what he admired and greatly respects is the utmost importance RSS gives to nationalism and patriotism. ‘No God or religion was ever mentioned in our interactions’, he avers. ‘This land has given us so much, what are we giving back to this land is a question all must ask and make honest attempt to give back as much as we can’, tells Franklin, clearly inspired by the ideals of RSS. He even recited a prayer in Sanskrit

Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume

Tvayā Hindubhūme Sukhaṁ Vardhitoham

Mahāmaṅgale Puṇyabhūme Tvadarthe

Patatveṣha Kāyo Namaste Namaste ||

Meaning:

Our beloved motherland, we bow to you forever. Oh Great Nation, The sacred realm, we were brought up here with your immense care, love and nourishment. We dedicate the whole of ourselves to your service forever. Millions and millions of Pranams.

The way he recited this prayer it was very clear that he is very happy being associated and involved in the activities of RSS. As an extention to this involvement, Franklin has started “RASHTRIYAWADI CHRISTHA VEDIKE, meant to promote nationalist movements within Christian community of Mangalooru.

He tells ‘RSS is another name for Nationalism and it is the vested interest groups which are trying very hard to bring bad name to RSS’. “This is my fervent appeal to all those who do not agree with RSS to spend with us just one day and then form the opinion” was his emotional plea.

Of course it is also true that over the years RSS has undergone many changes especially its political leanings. The present day political leadership has, especially from BJP, hundreds of active RSS members. Right from the Prime Minister of the country to an ordinary village panchayat member, RSS has made inroads. Hence the opposition may be strident toward RSS due to this politics. It is also true that political power has, to an extent, disturbed the sense of proportion of some of its members, who are emboldened to mouth anything and everything as if they are in the know of all-a Sarvajna or an omniscient. These motor mouths among RSS do create completely avoidable controversies. There are also those who have taken the law into their hands to become violent, like ‘Cow Vigilantes’. It is very important that parent organization, RSS has to take the call to address this wayward behavior of its members-both in words and deeds, to reclaim its own claim as selfless servants of India. Some of the happenings in the country would surely be most disappointing to the soul of Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who dreamt of a fair society when he established Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The recent trolling by some of its members on Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, for giving a passport to an inter-faith couple is a case in point. Of course, while it could be opportunistic for Congress to come to the rescue of Sushma Swaraj, at least it did show some decency to help a lady in distress. This was in complete contrast to what Sangh Pariwar members decided to do. In the face of attack on Sushma Swaraj, one of their very own, a competent and truly working minister, and a woman at that, reportedly there was nobody who came to stand by her. This is not merely deeply disappointing, but also deeply disturbing. How small some people can get!

Thus while it can be safely said that there are many positive aspect of RSS, it will not be wrong to say that there are disturbing dimensions of this mammoth organization which it needs to address to be better acceptable to not just Muslims & Christians but to the vast majority of Hindus in India.

Of course, it is true that it has made inroads into Muslim and Christian section of Indian society, by having Rashtriya Muslim Manch and Rashtriya Isai Manch to take them along for a better India. It is also true that RSS was greatly involved in situations of natural calamities like flood, earthquake and wherever it could address human suffering. It has the potential to organize large group of volunteers in short notice to be ready to go to any place where there is need for multi-dimensional help. RSS has proved its mettle in responding to calls of distress in different parts of India, many times in the past. With such credentials it should have been easier to be accepted by the Pan-Indian sections of different background. It is also true that, there are sections within Indian society, who are biased towards it with their own pre-conceived notion about the IDEA OF INDIA. It is in this context the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee has to be seen. His visit has certainly helped at least fence sitters to look at RSS little more differently for the general good of India. And media reported that since the visit of Pranab Mukherjee, membership to RSS has improved over and above the daily normal interest. Hope in a society that is divided on communal leanings is bridged instead towards a lasting social harmony.

 J. Shriyan