By Arun Srivastava
This is the most dangerous game the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is playing. The façade of RSS moving from the fringe to mainstream Indian nationalism primarily aims at keeping the liberal centrist Hindus and minorities under confusion. The entire exercise of Bhagwat at the RSS meet and his three series of lectures raises suspicion about his mission.
Sarsanghchalak preaching the philosophy of equality, sending the message of glasnost and discarding the central ideological line of Sangh , propagated by the saffron founder head Golwalkar, is wrapped in mystery. Bhagwat has embarked on this mission when the political situation is more amenable to the vertical as well as horizontal spread of the organisation and the rank and file is feeling ebullient at the prospect of transforming India into a Hindu Rashtra. In this background it is quite intriguing to listen Bhagwat discarding the ideological and political line laid down by Golwalkar.
No doubt the BJP has been showing its adherence to the Indian constitution, it like its parent organisation RSS has been wafting its hatred and hostility towards the Muslims. During the Modi government, they launched vicious campaign against them. Sangh activists resorting to vigilantism against Muslims on the issue of protecting cows and lover jihad has been the dastardly act in Independent India. Ironically during the last four years’ of saffron repression Bhgawat refrained opening his mouth and condemning his cadres.
Now he has started counselling and preaching Muslim and minorities; ´Hindu Rashtra does not mean there is no place for Muslims. If we do not accept Muslims it is not Hindutva”. IN sharp contrast to the stand of his predecessors, Bhagwat has been showing his adherence to the Constitution. Some thirty years back the then chief Sudarshan has outright rejected Constitution ;”it needed to be “reviewed completely” to reflect the country’s Hindu ethos.”
One thing is nevertheless quite apparent that he has not undertaken the challenge for a small cause. Since the task is stupendous and faces the threat of losing much of its ideological sheen his move must be more seriously than it looks at the face. Without blinking for a moment Bhagwat had observed at the meet that the speeches of the former head Guru Golwalkar are not relevant for all times. Bunch of Thoughts is a collection of his speeches that were made in particular context. He made it absolutely clear that Sangh was not a dogmatic organisation. Not being scared of the consequences, he said “ Time changes and accordingly our thought transform. It was the founder of the RSS, Dr Hedgewar who had said that we are free to adapt to times”. He did not unfold the reasons for his glasnost.
Glasnost is usually started to break from the past. His entire exercise smacked of a purging design, but he did not mention about any such move. It is also significant that he did not utter the word that he has launched the purge, but at the same time emphasised on the need for changing the political and ideological contour of the organisation. He also did not mention the compelling reason for this significant move.
His effort to project RSS as a benign organisation is really fascinating. A cursory reading of what he said in his three series lecture gives the impression that Bhgawat was mustering courage to go against the ideological and political line of the organisation defined by Hedgewar. What forced him to come out with a new political-ideological line diametrically opposed to the basic tenets of the organisation which catapulted it to become the dreaded establishment? His emphasis that organisation believes in democracy and the Constitution was merely a bluff.
While Bhagwat talked of opening up of the RSS, embracing the minorities, he diligently pushed and projected the Hindutva icons and agenda. He strongly emphasised for construction of a “grand Ram temple” in Ayodhya “soon” and “in whichever way possible”. This made absolutely clear that Bhagwat’s RSS would be ruthless in accomplishing its mission and was determined to adopt a more aggressive posture for fulfilling its mission.
A Ram temple and the repeal of Article 370 have been Sangh’s “core Hindutva agenda”. While raising such issues at this stage will help consolidate the Hindu vote in the upcoming state and Lok Sabha polls, it would also keep the fundamentalist happy. At a time when Bhagwat argues that old tenets of the RSS were not tenable, this line provides an insight into his machination.
In fact he preaches the hard and aggressive line by saying that building a Ram temple would be in the “national interest”, for it involves the “faith of crores of people”. It is a ridiculous proposition for him to argue that it would substantially reduce hostility towards Muslims. Had it been the case then why he or his accolades could not succeed in reaching to a convergence point and persuade the Muslims for building the Ram temple?
One thing is absolutely clear; Bhagwat has one hidden agenda. Much against the hyperboles of saffron leaders of Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, based on the experience he gained from the resistance politics by the secular and centrist forces against the saffron machination, he has come to realise that it would not be an easy walk for them to silence the rebels and make them succumb. He also could also make out that no amount of physical force would made them bow to the saffron wishes. A large number of Dalits and Muslims were killed during the last four years by saffron goons. Even the police did not to their rescue. Even then the RSS goons could not establish their dominance on these people.
Having failed to coerce the anti-Sangh forces, especially the Dalits and Muslims and make them fall in line, Bhagwat has adopted the new form of tactics to appease them and win over their trust. Bhagwat and his comrades are aware that a confrontation with the secular forces would be detrimental to their interest. It would be wrong to take Bhagwat by his words. He is neither for changing the position and policy of Sangh nor he sees the Dalits and Muslims as the sons of the Indian motherland.
It is indeed a paradox that the person who has been seeking acceptance of the global fraternity for RSS as being a nationalist force representing the voices and interest of Hindus and Muslims alike abhors the idea of equality for Muslims. On the issue of ostensible changes to the “demographic balance” in parts of India and the “declining” Hindu population, Bhagwat said the demographic balance was considered significant the world over and should be maintained in India too. (IPA Service)
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