A revolutionary turn in RSS ?
Columns, Point of View

A revolutionary turn in RSS ?

October 2, 2018

By T.J.S. George

Imagine the Pope criticising Jesus Christ. If that is too ecclesiastical, imagine Sitaram Yechury rewriting Karl Marx. Actually we cannot imagine either because the Catholic Church and the Communist Party are rule-bound doctrinaire establishments that do not brook deviations. So is the RSS. Therefore, technically, we cannot imagine Mohan Bhagwat going against the tenets of M.S. Golwalkar, as sacrosanct in the RSS universe as K. B. Hedgewar. Yet it happened. In his eleventh year as the acclaimed supremo of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat said that The Bunch of Thoughts, the Golwalkar book that has been the Gita-Bible-Koran of RSS cadres, was not to be taken seriously today. Those thoughts pertained to a particular context and need not be considered as eternally valid. Times change and accordingly our thoughts, too, must change. Hedgewar himself had said, Bhagwat reminded his people, that we are free to adapt to times as they change.

Bhagwat did not stop with Golwalkar. In the course of a three-day lecture series in Delhi, he decimated many Holy Cows of the RSS. When Hindutvavadis had been declaring that they would re-write the Constitution to fit into Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s vision of Dharmarajya, Bhagwat said: “The Sangh works after accepting the primacy of the Constitution and we respect it fully.” No reference here to the BJP’s standing objections to the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ in the Constitution.

Bhagwat also rejected a view expressed by BJP boss Amit Shah whose capacity to make coarse statements has been harming the country internally and internationally. Shah’s call for a “Congress-mukt Bharat” had become notorious because it actually meant an Opposition-mukt Bharat lying at the feet of a monopolistic BJP. Bhagwat said: “We are for all-inclusive Bharat, we are not about mukt.” He even complimented the Congress which had “many great personalities who sacrificed their lives and who still inspire us.”

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The concept of Hindutva, too, was revised by Bhagwat. Savarkar who had coined the word Hindutva, was clear that Hindu Rashtra should be peopled by only those who descended from Hindu culture. Bhagwat turned that theory on its head and said: “Hindu Rashtra does not mean that there is no place for Muslims. If it is said that Muslims cannot stay in India, it won’t be Hindutva any more.” From the same chair Bhagwat now occupies, Golwalkar had referred to the “hostility and murderous mood” of Muslims and declared: “Foreign races must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race. Otherwise they may stay in the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, deserving no privileges.”

What is going on? How can the RSS Head move so far away from the positions his predecessors had taken? Bhagwat is by no means a lesser RSS ideologue. Therefore, there must be a reason for him to discard old orthodoxies and embark on a course that looks reasonable, fair, progressive and populist.

The explanation most people will accept is that Mohan Bhagwat is merely softening the RSS-BJP’s image at election time. Fringe groups like Bhajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sene run amok hurting BJP’s voter appeal. Although the RSS helped the VHP to create Bhajrang Dal as a bunch of street fighters in the run-up to the Ayodhya movement, Bhajrangis had become an embarrassment and the RSS’ attempt to wrest back control of VHP and Bhajrang Dal did not really succeed. Is Bhagwat giving a message that these groups must be checked, that steps must be taken to remove the impression that lynchers have tacit government backing? It may be too much to hope that Bhagwat also wanted to send a signal to Amit Shah. For all his excesses, Shah is building a grassroots network the RSS always wanted the BJP to do.

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So, is Bhagwat’s new stance a genuine attempt to discard the RSS’ image as a hidebound, overly religious, intolerant and ultimately cold-blooded ideological outfit and recast it in a more acceptable garb suited to the modern age? The farce of India’s HRD Minister rejecting Darwin’s theory and the Science Minister saying that Vedic theory was superior to E = mc2 has made India a laughing stock among educated people. That such Neanderthals, unknown to the public before, became Ministers of the Republic of India did no good to either the Modi Government or the RSS. If the RSS Chief is making an attempt to save his flock from the fossilised minds wearing the Hindu cap, it would be a service to the nation. But can even Mohan Bhagwat get rid of the medievalists in his camp?

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www.tjsgeorge.info

9 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “A revolutionary turn in RSS ?”

  1. H says:

    Way of life,is the essence of hindu civilization. In short this is Hinduism and it is desrespecting this essence if we call it a religion. It is thaught in the gita that if there is anything permanent it is’ change’.if it has been subverted or perverted now, it is naive to blame the Rss,Bjp and so and so for it.what about the indian brand of secularism, which aims to divide in the guise of equality?what about the institutions which promote divisions based on caste and religion?and a state that prides it self as secular and interferes in all religious beliefs? at least bhagawat wants to change and tread the middle path.hinduism never bred hatred, it has been ridiculed made fun off by most of the so called intellectuals to further their ‘liberal’ beliefs.

  2. Prakash R says:

    BJP and RSS have hidden agenda. They never spell what they aim at, but they indirectly inject into people’s mind. Most people don’t understand how BJP or RSS plan, including educated people. Most people believe that they are revolutionary, but in fact, they are taking us backwards. They are getting good name for not achieving anything in 4.5 years! They are playing the religion card to win in elections, without it, its nothing.We the people of this country must be watchful and decide based on deliverables and not on emotional things. Almost all the developed countries have secular system. Should we follow the successful countries or the failed ones?

    • Rao says:

      Sincerely hope people have at least 50% sense of what you have.
      No country which has went only on religious lines has been successful.
      Its astonishing to see how any topic in this country since 2014 has been turned into Hindus vs others debate.
      Journalist/People weren’t afraid to ask questions before at least, there was a scope for agree to disagree on many issues.

    • dr.m.shanthakumar says:

      HIGHLY COMMUNAL JDS PARTY MUST BE SACKED IN THE COUNTRY. THIS PARTY IS ONLY FOR VOKKALIGAS AND HENCE THEY ARE HIGHLY COMMUNAL.

  3. Joseph says:

    I can see that the author and some of the people who commented have toned down their disgust about Hinduism by criticizing the small section of the main problem like RSS or bjp! Probably because they are afraid to speak the entire truth. The reality that Hinduism and cruelty go hand it hand!since the days of Ramayan and Mahabharat discrimination was an accepted standard. JOSYE their God taught them how to cheat in war to kill your teacher and your elders brothers by treachery . As per him, anything goes to reach your goal BJP is practicing the same! Bhagavadgita is a terror manual! You can find justification for any crime tgat you want to commit!
    Now modi is practicing every one of them!
    George sir! Please let not fear stop you from telling the truth ! We would like the next article to tackle the bigger problem called Hinduism

  4. binirish says:

    Its better for George not to instigate about the religion. There are better topics to cover in the newspaper. Highlight the achievements what the BJP is doing at centre instead of criticising. Discuss positive developmental activities and the news or else there won’t be any readers for Star of Mysore.

    • Rao says:

      Does this apply when non-BJP government is in power as well?

      • dr.m.shanthakumar says:

        HIGHLY COMMUNAL JDS PARTY MUST BE SACKED IN THE COUNTRY. THIS PARTY IS ONLY FOR VOKKALIGAS AND HENCE THEY ARE HIGHLY COMMUNAL.

  5. Sam says:

    Congress for 65 years decided the Hindu voters on castes, dalit, minority etc on Every division possible and simultaneously appeased muslim voters saying that they were discriminated by Hindus and with basic math they won all these years without giving a damn about any group! Only corruption was the principle! So, all the Christian missionaries and corrupt scam bags in the media houses supported Congress! Today, suddenly their support base is crumpled and all the anger by the thugs!
    Can somebody tell me there was no unemployment before modi? What about Kashmir issue ? Did BJP start it? Farmer suicide? Was there utopia while Congress ruled? Then why were the Booted out with a capitol B?
    People lost the easy money because of the corrupt avenues have reduced if not blocked and are very unhappy!
    If people are really unhall6with Modi, no doubt he will lose in 2019 and we are prepared for Rahul! Let’s see!

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