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RSS reclaims roots, redefines paradigm
by Nancy Kaul on 05 Mar 2011 17 Comments

The pseudo-secular streak that has engulfed the Indian political establishment and the intelligentsia has left a mark even on organizations aloof from this ethos, with consequences that did not augur well for them or for the Indian nation.

 

Dr K.B. Hedgewar, founder and first head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had certain fundamental principles and goals in mind when he established this unique body in the shadow of the failure of Gandhi’s Khilafat Movement and the communal riots into which it degenerated. But in just a few decades, slithering away from these ideals became a fashion, especially after Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishan Advani (who called themselves swayamsevaks) became Prime Minister and Home Minister respectively in the BJP-led NDA regime.

 

An unconscionable compromise with Hindu and even interests, symbolized most prominently by the abject display of obsequiousness at Agra and also at Kandahar, became the signature tune of the regime. Later, Advani displayed an inexplicable love of Mohammad Ali Jinnah as his new USP.

 

Unfortunately, the covert agendas of the BJP leaders and the needless appeasement of minorities became the party policy and even overshadowed the ideology of the RSS and the personality of its supreme leader or Sarsanghachalak. All policies and public announcements on crucial of issues of the Sangh Parivar as a whole began to be moulded from the perspective of L.K. Advani (and his coterie), and soon patronage-seeking journalists began to fill column inches with reams about the futility and irrelevance of Hindutva and the RSS. They took care to praise the compromising duo as more relevant than the Hindu soul of the nation.

 

In a land where once Sardar Patel termed the rebuilding of the Somnath temple – repeatedly destroyed and vandalized by Muslim invaders – as the regaining of national pride, there L.K. Advani who rode to power on the strength of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, sat in the office of that same Iron Man and Home Minister and repeated shamelessly the inanity that the removal of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya was the ‘black day’ of his life.

 

To its eternal shame, the RSS never chastised him or disowned this statement, and tried to use this subterfuge to exonerate itself from any role in the destruction of the disputed structure at the Janmasthan. This naturally raised questions in the minds of cadres and admirers about the ideological moorings of the RSS and its commitment towards the Hindu community and Hindu causes.

 

Now, after a prolonged limbo, the current Sarsanghachalak Mohanrao Bhagwat has with a single stroke negated this ideological paralysis and reaffirmed unambiguously the original paradigm - that RSS is meant to serve the Indian nation – specified as Akhand Hindu Bharat – and the Hindu native community in particular. Terming Dr Hedgewar the guiding force of the organisation, he said, “RSS is what Dr Hedgewar and Guruji (Golwalkar) thought it to be. There is no question of it being ‘secular’ (read non-Hindu or anti-Hindu). Let me reassure it cannot and will not deviate from its path and goal of Hindu interests which are at the heart of it.” “Bharat or India, whatever you choose to call, is a Hindu Nation, her soul is Hindu and we will protect that.”

 

Laying down the immediate twin agenda of the RSS - Jammu & Kashmir and Ayodhya - the plain speaking by Shri Bhagwat on 26 February 2011, before a select audience of concerned citizens in New Delhi, spelled out the revitalized role RSS intended to play in the Indian nation.

 

To a pointed question about RSS diluting its ideology by appeasing minorities like a political party, he clarified, “We have no sister concern, nor does Sangh have any morchas (fronts), we just have shakhas (branches).” Certain minority associations had requested the Sangh to depute some leaders to associate with them, he said, and had received such moral support; but RSS had no hand in setting up or running such bodies.

 

Questioning the intent of the government-appointed interlocutors and the way they were running to appease the separatists in J&K, he said, “these separatists are a bunch, there should be initiative to talk to and strengthen the nationalists in the State. We are looking at the policies and the way decisions on important issues are being taken by the government. Let me make it clear that we will not be mute spectators and will not allow any compromise on any issue including Jammu & Kashmir.” Describing the stakes of each Indian in Jammu & Kashmir, he warned there would be no tolerance for hoodwinking or repetition of wrong decisions as in the past.

 

Shri Bhagwat also questioned the role and intent of international forces in India, and ruled out any third party mediation in Kashmir. When the United States and China do not tolerate outside interference in their internal matters, why does the Indian establishment permit them to meddle in our internal affairs? “It was different and unfortunate in 1947, but now things are not the same, we are a much stronger nation and another partition or division of the nation will not and cannot happen.”

 

The RSS was not as strong in 1947 as it is now, he said, and regretted that those charged with the destiny of the nation then had not called the people to resist the partition of the motherland. Today people are far more aware, and another partition will not be tolerated. In fact, he pointed out, RSS has not even now accepted the first partition, but it is not yet in a position to do anything about it.

 

Recognizing that there was an urgent need for articulating Hindu political aspirations, he said a roadmap was being prepared and door-to-door campaigns conducted to create public awareness of the challenges before the nation.

 

yada yada hi dharmasya

glanir bhavati bharata

abhyutthanam adharmasya

tadatmanam srjamy aham

[Sri Krishna: Wherever and whenever there is a decline in virtue, O Arjuna, and a predominance of irreligion,

Those many times do I descend and manifest myself as an embodied Being]

- Bhagwat Gita: IV: 7

 

paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya cha duskritam

dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge

[Sri Krishna: To deliver the pious and annihilate the miscreants,

And to reestablish the principles of dharma, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium]

- Bhagwat Gita: IV: 8

 

This is the karmic trajectory to which the RSS is now pledged to return, to redeem the demoralized and oppressed Hindu Nation …

 

The author is convener, Daughters of Vitasta
User Comments Post a Comment
I hope the RSS will succeed but I fear it is too late. The RSS made itself irrelevant by its self-imposed silence in the name of a dubious 'discipline'. The RSS left the field clear for enemies of the Hindus, particularly the media, to wreck havoc for more than 60 years. Even now, Hindu society does not have a TV channel it can call its own. The best thing in the circumstances would be for enthusiastic youngsters to come out of the RSS and form a far more radical, vocal and intellectual organisation. No point in reviving a virtually dead outfit like the RSS.
Indira
March 05, 2011
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the return to roots by the RSS and its redefining of policies in clear terms has finally cleared the mist that was surrounding both issues of hindus and the RSS.
The advani and vajpayee duo for their petty interests failed the nation and hindus.
the clear speak by the RSS chief is a welcome change and infact much desired.
kamakshi s
March 05, 2011
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the RSS coming close to its ownself needs to be seen. Mr Bhagwats intentions seem clean and straight yet bjp as a party and most its leaders have lost the essense, direction and commitment. Will RSS get us rid of advani like jai chands and dushasanas inside BJP and even some in RSS. Afterall Krishna stood for dharma, will the RSS too otherwise Hindus will have to look at someone else.
a k singh
March 05, 2011
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The prime reason behind creating RSS by Dr K.B. Hedgewar was the inherent flaw in the Hindu character because of the provincialism and untouchability (the caste system),later being a part and parcel of the Hindu belief.He felt a remedy for the above was a cultural organisation that would unite Hindus on a common platform and instill among them discipline and national character.But then later on this organization changed tracks and becme more of a communal than a social one.The educated and open minded Hindus (most of Indians) tend to stay away from it,that is why in Indian politics it stands no chance against Indian Congress as Muslims see Congress as a shield against the RSS's rigid stance against minorities of India.
observer
March 05, 2011
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\\\\\\\\\\The RSS left the field clear for enemies of the Hindus, particularly the media, to wreck havoc for more than 60 years. Even now, Hindu society does not have a TV channel it can call its own. \\\\\\\\\\\\ Smt.Indira, I have been relentlessly emphasising this in forum after forum. As the tamil proverb says, "Erumbura kallum theyum" meaning even a stone depreciates on continuously criss crossed by ants. The earlier, the forces of HIndutva establishes strong print and visual media, the better it would be for Akhand Bharat.
\\\\\\\ In fact, he pointed out, RSS has not even now accepted the first partition, but it is not yet in a position to do anything about it.\\\\\\\\\ Why not, uniting Hindus and educating Hindus of their glory is a step in annulling the partition. Divided germany got united. After thousands of years Jews reclaimed their land. The cut off limbs Bangladesh and the Baqistan would reunite with Hindustan. What is required is will. Sangh has it. They are on the path of Dharma. Dharmo Rakshati RakshitaH.\\\\\\\\\\\Will RSS get us rid of advani like jai chands and dushasanas inside BJP and even some in RSS. \\\\\\\ Do not forget after formation of RSS, Sangh faced tremendous opposition and grown leaps and bounds. After the death of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, RSS was wrongly inflicted and banned. The courts of the country declared that RSS was not involved and Sangh's growth in the aftermath was tremendous. During emergency Sangh was banned but the functioneries of Sangh still worked in the social arena even after the ban. After lifting of emergency, Sangh further grown tremendously. For a third time, after demolition of the Structure in which Ram lalla was installed, Sangh was banned by Congress which still serves its white founder Octivan Hume. It again withstood the opposition and is growing. The strength of the Sangh is in the hands of its pracharaks who have given up their life the cause of Nation and for the cause of ageless glory of Sanatana Hindu Dharma. These pracharaks are from all walks of life. There are engineers, doctors, chartered accountants and from ever other walk of life. Like Ganges is believed to have self puricatory powers, Sangh blessed with learned pracharaks from all walks of life from all communities of Hindus who have given up their life for the cause of Dharma and Nation would redeem and rebuild the nation.\\\\\\\\\And jb.observer, for a change, far from ur oath of leaving this saffron site, it is surprising you could say a couple of good things about Doctorji and Sangh. But true to your colour blindness, though you started off well ended up as a stereotype.
krishnakumar
March 05, 2011
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"The RSS was not as strong in 1947 as it is now, he said, and regretted that those charged with the destiny of the nation then had not called the people to resist the partition of the motherland". If this is an allusion to Gandhi and the Gandhi-led INC, then far from resisting partition, Gandhi declared that he would rather be ruled by Muslims than have Hindus pick up arms against the Muslims.
Radha Rajan
March 05, 2011
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The core spirit of Hindu Dharma is Vasudhaiv Kutumbam , Sarva dharma parayan. FOR ONE AND ALL.So Hinduism is Indian ness,Hindutva is not about believing in ones own God alone but about every ones God. Hindu is for 1 billion Indians and can not be for a few . A selected few Hindu groups do not have freedom to redefine this innate core spirit of Hinduism .Hindutva is about enduring and respecting Dharma . Dharma is common inter -religion concept. Religion is about process of paying respect to someones own God & so a very personal choice while Dharma is Universal ,Eternal,obligation of one and all .Religion is not salvation but Dharma is way for salvation.Hindutva is about following this eternal Dharma (which is quite different from Religion) Hindutva therefore will show the way to salvation by following Dharma .Hindu Dharma therefore encompases every religion.Let India follow Hindutva .All religion therefore can follow eternal dharma which is same as Hindutva and so is for every Indian and not just for a few followers ofHindu religion .
A KGOEL
March 06, 2011
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Mr.Baqistani,you are still living in Kansas and waiting for your flying monkeys to get you back Pakistan and Bangladesh.......some dream!Put your emphasis on saving what ever you are left with instead of the things that you know that you are never ever gonna get back.The remaining part of the Kashmir that you have been holding illegally for 63 odd years is already slipping out ,Asam does not want any thing to do with you,Maoist are thinking totally on different terms even your Hindu neighbours dont want anything to do with you,cant you see the trend Mr.analyst.The latest folly of your Shiv Sena's Saffron Brigade fools no one by floating a party called the Muslim Mahasangh. How stupid does the party think that the Muslims are? The Sena strategy is ostensibly to expand its support base in the Thane district. Most analysts think that this face aimed at the the 2012 civic body elections will fail. The Siv Sena always put out the line that “Shiv Sena is not against Muslims”. The world knows the truth about the Sena. Shiv Sena’s party chief Bal Thackeray continues to oppose all Muslims under the facade of opposing elements favoring Pakistan and those who are aligned with terrorist outfits in the country.Before the elections, the Sena has thrived on riots as a means to galvanize an impoverished and penury inflicted population.Analysts, Muslims leaders and Congress legislator slammed the Shiv Sena for thinking of the Muslims before its election stunts.Successive defeats has forced the Shiv Sena to change its the outer layer of its facade. Sena faces the division of votes due to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray. Politics of desparation have forced the Shive Sena to reach out to muslims and other minority groups. Mulsims cannot forget the Sena role during the Gujrat riots, nor can the Sikhs forget their atrocities when the Golden Tmeple was attacked and Skihs killed en masse all over Hindustan.It is time for all of you who hate Muslims and Pakistan to take a step back and take a deep breath ,clear your minds and think where are you leading the South Asia to...........towards total distruction,please let some sanity prevail,with best regards.



The bigoted Shiv Sena and its racist leadership has indulged in politics of hate. The party, which claims to be a die-hard supporter of Hindutva, now is trying to fool the world in it s so called outreach to the Muslims and minority groups. All of South Asia and the world at large remembers the role of Shiv Sena in the communal riots.
observer
March 06, 2011
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IF IT IS SO. MY SALUTATIONS TO SH MOHAN BHAGWAT. WITH LITTLE SINCERITY- AND REVIVAL OF WORK & SERVICE- RSS IS ONE ORGANISATION THAT CAN SAVE HINDUSTAN.
B Goel
March 06, 2011
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My thanks to Ms. Nancy Kaul for this article on the RSS. I am happy to note the RSS is reclaiming its roots. She has, however, not pinpointed the 'root', which I wish to state as I learnt it before India’s Partition. I joined the RSS in 1944-45 when I was a student of class IX. Even then, I used to read newspapers and attend the lectures, (called Boudhhik), of Shri Guru ji (M.S.Golwalkar) and Vasant Rao Oak, the then Pracharak of Delhi and perhaps Panjab also. The Valmiki Mandir, where Gandhi ji used to stay on coming to Delhi was actually the RSS office of New Delhi. During my stay in the RSS upto 1947, I, along with many others, learnt that Dr. Hedgewar, (nicknamed Doctor ji), felt that removal of the British from India was not that difficult, but the problem was that, with the policies followed by Mahatma Gandhi led Congress, Muslims were sure to come out as successors to the British and that would mean getting back to the reign of Aurangzeb. The aim of the RSS was, therefore, that the Raj Satta (sovereignty) of India, that is Hindu Rashtra, should vest in Hindu hands. To achieve that aim, the first thing was to unite the Hindus on an all India basis under one (saffron) flag and a common language (Hindi). It was the lack of Hindu unity and a national goal of Hindu Raj, (as dreamt by Shivaji), that the foreign powers were ruling Hindusthan, the land of Hindus. It was also recognized those days that it was not possible to assemble 100 per cent of Hindus. It was sufficient that 3 per cent of the urban and one per cent of the rural Hindu population came under the saffron and at that moment the RSS would to enter the political field.
Ram Gopal
March 06, 2011
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RSS will have to do much more than merely reiterate its Hindu origins and agendas.While secularists are on their backfoot, mired in corruption and sloth, their anti Hindu agenda continues.
Time has come for RSS to launch several pro Hindu peaceful local agitations across the country to protect Hindu interests, to protect environment,to prevent land grabs, prevent river pollution, improve management of Hindu religious places
Hindus hold Ganga as their holiest river.While governments have spent crores in cleaning it, it is getting more polluted.RSS in northern India should launch a clean Ganga programme of its own and expose those who are spending millions on this project and doing nothing.
Jitendra Desai
March 06, 2011
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I agree with the sentiments of Shri Jitendra Desai.
The interest of and aims of RSS are the same as the interests of every Hindu in India. Why only ask the RSS to take the responsibility. Is it not the duty of every Hindu to share the responsibility to awaken the Nation against whatever problems the nation is facing? Every Hindu Organisation is supported by RSS, so why wait? Every Hindu must stand against the ills of the nation. Basically we need to break the nexus between the Politicians ( Congress) and Bureaucrats. It is the prime duty of every Civil Servant to protect the National Wealth. Civil Servants are paid by the Tax Payers so their duty is to protect the interests of people.
Ambekar
March 06, 2011
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it is welcome to read the above article. The present sarsangh chalak seems to have caught the right pulse. Better late than never.redefining its roots and its reason of purpose rather than being white washed by the likes of jinnah loving advani and Oh so good for nothing Vajpayee and in totality placing an accelerator on muslim appeasement BJP has lost its fundamentals. Mr Bhagwat seems to have the right action plan but what about his own duryodhans and jaichands?
Shivika Gadgil Patil
March 06, 2011
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Aree @@@ observer, why do you poke nose into everything. Hindus are not your business. confine yourself to jinnahs kabar and talibanistan. You can vacate India and get lost to Pakistan or where ever. Don't teach or comment on Shiv Sena, we Indians and Hindus in particular dont want it neither do we need it. Stop poking otherwise remember what Shivaji and Ranjit singh did. instead look for your bloodline in Pakistan or spill blood in talibani land.
Indian Observer
March 06, 2011
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You leave Islam/Muslims and Pakistan alone,then i won't "poke my nose" into "everything" ,so what do you say?
observer
March 07, 2011
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observer, vacate india and get lost to pakistan or porkistan.you are from harem, go and whine at Jinnahs grave, we are not holding you back get lost to talibani land!!!!!!
indian observer
March 07, 2011
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I AM HINDU

My unalloyed love for Mother India is being systematically branded as sectarian and narrow.
And my heart bleeds. I am Hindu.

I feel immeasurably and immensely proud to be part of longest living civilization that is of India. I have no distractions from this pride. I am Hindu.

I belong to India and I get shook up with sattvic rage when some inherently selfish people say India belongs them without even trying honestly cultivate a feeling of belonging to India. I am Hindu.

To me Mother India is God personified. I am Hindu.

I am convinced that the Sants and Acharyas of India lived lives embodying unbounded love and compassion for people and devotion to punyabhoomi of India. Their richness and depth are impossible to be matched by anyone inspired by alien creeds – This I have no doubts about. I am Hindu.

Springs of my fundamental inspiration come from saints, seers and sages of India.
I am Hindu.

I cannot tolerate when some one rejects willfully India's genius and brazenly supplants it with totally incompatible alien creeds – Islam, Christianity and Communism in particular.
I am Hindu.

I love Mother India unconditionally and they call me Hindu. And I am without a doubt.

India is my mother. I am Hindu.

All acharya's and saints of India are my gurus. They taught me to love India. I am Hindu.

My heart bleeds to remember that Mother India was dismembered in 1947. I am Hindu.

My heart bleeds when I find millions of Mother India's children deliberately reject India's home grown culture and view of the world in the name of alien ideologies and creeds. I am Hindu.

I believe being Hindu means belonging 100% to Mother India. I am Hindu.

My heart bleeds when I visualize brave sons of the Great Guru Govind Singhji
– Zoravar and Fateh - being entombed alive. I am Hindu.

I love all languages of India through which Mother India truly speaks. I am Hindu.
gaurav
March 07, 2011
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