In a 1998 interview with Outlook magazine former RSS chief Prof. Rajendra Singh shared the RSS worldview on a range of subjects including their understanding of Nathuram Godse. Excerpts:
Do you approve of the BJP forging an alliance with Jayalalitha who is facing criminal charges?
The BJP might have alliances but each party has a different manifesto and they are fighting on their own agenda. It’s only a question of seat adjustments to make sure that their votes don’t get divided and the third party doesn’t win. And the BJP has not done anything which we don’t approve of.
Despite your assertion that Kashi and Mathura are very much on the agenda of the RSS, the BJP has always shied away from the issue. Why do the different organisations of the sangh speak different languages?
Being a political party, the BJP thinks and talks about the immediate issues. They need not think about the questions of the future. At present we cannot do anything about Ram Janmabhoomi because the land surrounding it has been taken over by the government.
Your ideal of good governance?
By good governance I mean our MLAs and MPs should be honest. I feel that had the government followed the Indian culture we would have accomplished our dream.
But didn’t Kalyan Singh induct people with criminal links in his cabinet?
He did it to show that the BJP was not an untouchable. To show that you can’t make a fool of us every time and topple our governments. For abnormal times we have to adopt abnormal policies.
The BJP is ruling in at least four states. Are you satisfied with their performance?
Their performance hasn’t been good, as the bureaucracy is the same. It takes five to seven years to change them. Also, because of a fear that the Centre will use Article 356 to dismiss them.
What is your opinion about Nathuram Godse who killed Gandhi?
Godse was motivated by (the philosophy of) Akhanda Bharat. Uske mantavya achhe thhe par usne achhe uddeshya ke liye galat method istemal kiya (His intention was good but he used the wrong methods). Initially, he was a member of the Congress, later he joined the RSS and left it subsequently, saying that it was a slow organisation. Then he formed his own group. He was shocked to see crores of people migrate (from Pakistan) and wanted to kill all the leaders.
(Outlook magazine, January 19, 1998).
Archived from Communalism Combat, August 2004, Anniversary Issue (11th), Year 11 No.100, Cover Story 4