The president of BJP in conversation with journalists, Liz Mathew and P Vaidyanathan Iyer (The Indian Express, Delhi, May 18, 2024) claimed that
“RSS is a cultural organisation and we are a political organisation…It’s (RSS is) an ideological front. The RSS and the BJP have their own areas of working very clearly established”. [https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/j-p-nadda-interview-bjp-modi-9337032/]
It was not for the first time that this lie was spoken about relationship between RSS and BJP. Organiser, English mouthpiece of the RSS, in its editorial of February 6, 2000 relied on this lie when wrote:
“The RSS is not a political party. It does not take part in elections nor its office bearers are supposed to become office bearers of any political party. The RSS has no election symbol nor its leadership or members have ever endeavoured to seek political office. It is a social-cultural organization trying to inspire all national activity.”
We must compare this claim of the RSS with the following two statements of Golwalkar, who headed the RSS after the death of KB Hedgewar, and is considered the greatest ideologue of the organization till date. The first statement tells us about the kind of personnel who are sent to manipulate politics and what is expected of them by the RSS. While delivering a speech on March 16, 1954, in Sindi, Wardha, he said,
“If we say that we are part of the organization and accept its discipline then selectiveness has no place in life. Do what is told. If told to play kabaddi, play kabaddi; told to hold meeting then meeting….For instance some of our friends were told to go and work for politics that does not mean that they have great interest or inspiration for it. They don’t die for politics like fish without water. If they are told to withdraw from politics then also there is no objection. Their discretion is just not required.”
[Golwalkar, MS, Shri Guruju Samgr Darshan (collected works of Golalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur (RSS publication house), vol. III, n. d., p. 32.]
The second statement is also very significant and clearly highlights the high level of political ambitions of the RSS. While addressing the leading RSS cadres at Indore on March 5, 1960 he said:
“We know this also that some of our Swayamsevaks work in politics. There they have to organize according to the needs of work public meetings, processions etc., have to raise slogans. All these things have no place in our work. However, like the character in a play whatever role has been assigned should be portrayed with best of capability. But sometimes Swayamsevaks go beyond the role assigned to a performer (nat) as they develop over-zealousness in their hearts, to the extent that they become useless for this work. This is not good.” [Ibid, vol. IV, pp. 4-5.]
We find here Golwalkar referring to the Swayamsevaks loaned to political satellite as ‘nat’ or performers who are meant to dance to the tunes of the RSS. This fact should not be missed here that Golwalkar’s above design of controlling the political arm was elaborated in March 1960 almost nine years after the establishment of Jan Sangh (the forerunner of the BJP) in 1951.
BJP NOT INDEPENDENT OF RSS
The RSS leadership keeps on harping that BJP is an independent political organization and does not work under the dictates of the RSS. It is pertinent that one compares this information with the facts available in the official publications of the RSS. The central publication house of the RSS, the Suruchi Prakashan, has published a book, Param Vaibhav Ke Path Par (The Road to Glory) in 1997 giving details of more than 40 organizations created by the RSS for different tasks. The BJP as a political organization figures prominently in it, clubbed with the ABVP, Hindu Jagaran Manch, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch and Sanskar Bharti. The preface of the book itself declares that,
“Without the knowledge of the different kinds of activities of the Sawyamsevaks (the volunteers of the RSS) the introduction of the RSS is incomplete. Keeping this in mind it has been attempted in this book to produce the brief information about the diverse activities of the Sawyamsevaks. This book covers the organizational status till 1996…We believe that this book will prove to be of use for those who want to understand the RSS with the Swyamsevaks.”
[Sapre, Sadanand D., Parm Vaibhav Ke Path Per, Suruchi (central publication house of RSS), Delhi, 1997, p. 7.]
In this book the BJP figures at number 3 in the list of prominent organizations created by the RSS. This book gives details of the creation and development of Bhartiya Jan Sangh (the forerunner of the BJP) and then BJP by the RSS for purposes laid down by the latter. It is to be noted that PM of India and his senior ministers, most of the present BJP chief ministers and Governors publically declare to be RSS cadres. JP Nadda too proudly declares to be a member of RSS.
We will have to find out the answer why suddenly Nadda declares independence of BJP from RSS. In fact, such a situation was visualized by Golwalkar in 1960 itself when he stated that “sometimes Swayamsevaks go beyond the role assigned to a performer (nat) as they develop over-zealousness in their hearts, to the extent that they become useless for this work. This is not good.” Mohan Bhagwat and his key confidants leading RSS today is no match to Golwalkar who could control its political child, BJP. Modi (trained by Golwalkar as a political leader), a Vishwa guru, Hindu hirday samrat and Hindutva icon has made RSS led by Hindutva minions redundant. RSS is paying for creating a Leviathan (a natural corollary of combining religion with politics) to its own peril. Golwalkar declared as early as 1940 that “RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land”. [Golwalkar, MS, Shri Guruju Samgr Darshan, vol. I, p. 11] Modi fulfils this dream of RSS fully. Hindutva zealots celebrated when Modi marched on demolishing secularism, constitutional reservations, national institutions and communal harmony but forgot that if it had to be ONE LEADER Mohan Bhagwat and his Hindutva Empire too had to go!
( Link for some of S. Islam’s writings in English, Hindi, Urdu and translations into Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates: http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam )
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.