Shamsul Islam

Posted October 12, 2000

 With political godfathers ruling the country, the RSS has accelerated its old favourite pastime of minority bashing in India.  And that the Christians have been singled out as their latest targets for persecution, is clear from the recent declarations of the boss of the RSS, KS Sudershan.  While addressing a rally on the eve of 75th founding day of the RSS in Nagpur, he called upon Christians of the country to prove their patriotism. It is really atrocious that an organization which was at least twice banned for anti-national activities by the Government of India after independence should pose as some kind of authority about patriotism in the country.  Should the Christians and their churches who love this country once again refresh the memory of the RSS brass that their rabid communal organization was banned in 1948 for collaborating in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, and in 1992 it was again banned for demolishing Babri mosque at Ayodhya?  Can RSS cite even a single example of any Christian church or organization involved in such or any other kind of anti-national activity? Do we also need to tell the the RSS that misadventures like demolition of Babri mosque only served the strategic goals of the enemies of India like the ISI who wanted to see an India, fractured and at war with itself?  Will the targeting of Christians by the RSS not create social and political disharmony to the jubilation of the adverseries of India?

 This is high time that the people of this country scrutinize the record (of patriotism and loyalty to the nation) of the RSS itself.  Unfortunately, the RSS which is fond of demanding unwavering and unflinching loyalty to the nation from minorities is neither loyal to the Constitution of India, nor to the National Flag.  RSS is an organization which openly decries the existence of a secular India which is part of the ‘Basic Feature’ of the Constitution of India.  In order to know the truth we will simply have to make access to the literature and publications of the RSS specially the writings of Guru Golwalkar who as a philosopher and guide is religiously followed by the bosses and caders of the RSS.

DECRYING THE NATIONAL FLAG

 The RSS since its inception in 1925 hated anything which symbolized the united struggle of the Indian people against British rule. The case of the Tricolour is the most pertinent one.  In December 1929 Congress at its Lahore session adopted Purna Swaraj as the national goal and called upon the people to observe January 26, 1930 as Independence Day by displaying and honouring the Tricolour (the Tricolour was by consensus considered the flag of the national movement by this time).  In response to this Dr. Hedgewar as Sarsanghchalak issued a circular to all the RSS shakhas to worship the bhagwa jhanda (saffron flag).  The important point is that nowhere in the functioning of the RSS is the Tricolour or National Flag used even today.  The RSS leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi may go to unfurl the Tricolour at Lal Chowk of Srinagar, Kashmir, in order to hypocritically demonstrate their ‘patriotism’, but the fact is that the RSS openly dishonours and denigrates the national flag.  Golwalkar while addressing a Gurupurnima gathering in Nagpur on July 14, 1946, stated that it was the saffron flag which in totality represented their great culture.  It was the embodiment of God: "We firmly believe that in the end the whole nation will bow before this saffron flag".  Even after independence when the Tricolour became the National Flag, it was the RSS which refused to accept it as the National Flag. Golwalkar while discussing the issue of the national flag in an essay entitled ‘Drifting and Drifting’ in ‘Bunch of Thoughts,’ an RSS publication, has the following to say: "Our leaders have set up a new flag for our country.  Why did they do so?  It just is a case of drifting and imitating.  Ours is an ancient and great nation with a glorious past . Then, had we no flag of our own?  Had we no national emblem at all these thousands of years?  Undoubtedly we had.  Then why this utter void, this utter vacuum in our minds?".

DECRYING THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA.

 How loyal the RSS is to the Constitution of India can be known by the following words of Golwalkar which are being reproduced from ‘Bunch of Thought’,. "Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries.  It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own.  Is there a single word of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and what our keynote in life is?  No!"

DECRYING THE ‘BASIC FEATURE’ SECULARISM OF THE INDIAN POLITY

 The study of Prarthana (prayer) and Pratigya (oath) as practised in the shakhas of the RSS is an example of how nationalism is equated with Hinduism, in the same way as the Muslim League which had combined Islam with nationality.  Significantly, both the Prarthana and Pratigya are in direct contravention to the existence of a Indian Secular State which an important ‘Basic Feature’ of the Constitution of India.

Prarthana

 Affectionate Motherland, I eternally bow to you/O Land of Hindus, you have reared me in comfort/O Sacred Land, the Great Creator of Good, may this body of mine be dedicated to you/I again and again bow before You/O God Almighty, we the integral part of the Hindu Rashtra salute you in reverence/For Your cause have we girded up our loins/Give us Your Blessings for its accomplishment.

Pratigya

 Before the all powerful God and my ancestors, I most solemnly take this oath, that I become a member of the RSS in order to achieve all round greatness of Bharatvarsha by fostering the growth of my sacred Hindu religion, Hindu society, and Hindu culture.  I shall perform the work of the Sangh honestly, disinterestedly, with my heart and soul, and I shall adhere to this goal all my life. Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

WHY WAS THE RSS BANNED AFTER THE MURDER OF MAHATMA GANDHI?

 These were the anti-national activities of the RSS due to which the organization was banned on February 4, 1948. The government communique‚ banning the RSS was self-explanatory:

 "In their resolution of February 2, 1948 the Government of India declared their determination to root out the forces of hate and violence that are at work in our country and imperil the freedom of the Nation and darken her fair name.  In pursuance of this policy the Government of India have decided to declare unlawful the RSS".  The communique went on to disclose that the ban on the RSS was imposed because, "undesirable and even dangerous activities have been carried on by members of the Sangh.  It has been found that in several parts of the country individual members of the RSS have indulged in acts of violence involving arson, robbery, dacoity, and murder and have collected illicit arms and ammunition.  They have been found circulating leaflets exhorting people to resort to terrorist methods, to collect firearms, to create disaffection against the government and suborn the police and the military".
 

 It is well-known that the then Home Minister, Sardar Patel, had a soft-corner for the RSS. Sardar Patel continues to be a favourite with the RSS.  However even Sardar Patel found it difficult to defend the RSS in the aftermath of Gandhiji’s assassination.  In a letter written to Golwalkar, dated 11 September 1948, Sardar Patel stated:

"Organizing the Hindus and helping them is one thing but going in for revenge for its sufferings on innocent and helpless men, women and children is quite another thing.

"Apart from this, their opposition to the Congress, that too of such virulence, disregarding all considerations of personality, decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest among the people.  All their speeches were full of communal poison.  It was not necessary to spread poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection.  As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji.  Even an iota of the sympathy of the Government, or of the people, no more remained for the RSS. In fact opposition grew.  Opposition turned more severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhiji’s death.  Under these conditions it became inevitable for the Government to take action against the RSS".

"Since then, over six months have elapsed.  We had hoped that after this lapse of time, with full and proper consideration the RSS persons would come to the right path.  But from the reports that come to me, it is evident that attempts to put fresh life into their same old activities are afoot".

THE RSS BETRAYED THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT

 The RSS claims to be the greatest embodiment of nationalism in the country today.  The people of this country would like to know which movements were launched by the RSS before 1947, to free India from British imperialism?  Who amongst its leaders and cadres suffered repression under colonial rule?  Who amongst them went to jail or became martyrs for the cause of the freedom of the country?  Any patriot of the country is bound to receive shock of life after reading these narrations of Golwalkar.

 There is another reason for the need of always remaining involved in routine work.  There is some unrest in the mind due to the situation developing in the country from time to time.  There was such unrest in 1942. Before that there was the movement in 1930-31.  At that time many other people had gone to Doctorji.  This ‘delegation’ requested Doctorji that this movement will give independence and Sangh should not lag behind.  At that time, when a gentleman told Doctorji that he was ready to go to jail, Doctorji said, ‘Definitely go. But who will take care of your family then?  That gentleman told–‘he has sufficiently arranged resources not only to run the family expenses for two years but also to pay fines according to the requirements’.   Then Doctorji said to him –‘if you have fully arranged for the resources then come out to work for the Sangh for two years’.  After returning home that gentleman neither went to jail nor came out to work for the Sangh".  This incident clearly shows that the RSS leadership was bent upon demoralising the honest patriotic persons to run away from the cause of Freedom Movement.

 At the time of the Quit India Movement Guru Golwalkar stated:  "There are bad results of struggle.  The boys became militant after the 1920-21 movement. It is not an attempt to throw mud at the leaders. But these are inevitable products after the struggle.  The matter is that we could not properly control these results. After 1942, people often started thinking that there was no need to think of the law".  After the 1942 Movement Guruji further commented, "In 1942 also there was a strong sentiment in the hearts of many.  At that time too the routine work of Sangh continued. Sangh decided not to do anything directly". However, there is not a single publication or document of the Sangh which could throw some light on the great work the RSS did indirectly for the Quit India Movement.

 The RSS thus can be seen as having played an extremely dubious role throughout the freedom struggle.  All evidence points towards its disruptiveness and the fact that the organization and its leadership was not a part of the freedom struggle.  The single most important ‘contribution’ of the RSS was to consistently disrupt the unified struggle of the Indian people against British imperialism through its extreme exclusivist slogan of Hindu Rashtra.

 With these facts before us we call upon the RSS to prove their loyalty to our great nation. In fact if there is an organization which has to be Indianized immediately it is the RSS.