The Secretive RSS

Article by Ratan Sharda
Comments by H Balakrishnan

( A comment by Times of India in today's (23 Mar 2009) report about the new Sarsanghchalakof RSS, triggered off this article.)

My morning began as usual with freshening up myself with No. 1 newspaper of the world, Times of India accompanying to the wash room. I was stumped to find the RSS change of guard as the lead story. What’s gone wrong with the guys? Where had my familiar and comforting news about IPL and incest and violence related staple news?And how come a communal outfit got the top billing? I am yet to fathom this secret. But, I was surprised by the expert comment of TOI that RSS was a secretive organization. I reflected very hard on these comments by the most responsible newspaper of India (or the world). It won’t make a comment lightly on such an issue of national importance. I went back over my years or rather decades of association with RSS and tried to make sense of this comment. As a hapless citizen of India ensnared by RSS in his tender young age secretly through simple Indian games which were on the verge of extinction and a secret to our west educated elite intellectuals, maybe I never realized the secretive nature of RSS. So, I tried to day past regression analysis of self vis a vis RSS. I remembered the dubiousness of RSS recruitment. The simple looking fun loving teacher in RSS shakha had never told me that I was being initiated to a Hindu outfit which believed in Hindu consolidation and nor did he tell me that I would be taught the virtues (liabilities in today’s world) of high moral values and discipline without me realizing all this. All this happened so unknowingly to me.


Yes, now I could slowly comprehend the import of the wise words of TOI.May be the commands were designed in Sanskrit – an archaic and communal language so they could be kept a secret from people who wanted to study RSS?Why ofcourse, even the daily prayer the motherland was in Sanskrit. Naturally, our journalists couldn’t understand it and thought it was a Nazi exhortation to kill non-Hindus and talk of superiority of Hindus? Luckily, I was explained the meaning of this prayer. A simple booklet about it was available off the shelf from RSS promoted book shop. As it turns out the prayer glorified our motherland and reminds us of doing our best to work hard for the motherland for its all round progress.

Why this secretiveness I wonder now? Perhaps, we could have had it in English.I realize now that we had quaint names for simple activities. Like calling snacking together in team as ‘Chandan’. I am told, that the police got fooled by this secretiveness and went hunting for this guy ‘Chandan’ to arrest him after the first RSS ban in 1948. I had my own experience of this secretiveness when the police came calling to arrest my elder brother, who had been active years back in his youth and had moved to Surat by then, after the ban in 1975 during the glory days of emergency but failed to arrest me though I was a young activist giving trouble to police by being part of a team that organized ‘satyagrah’ every week in our college! Yes, we should have updated the volunteer list of police regularly.

As I grew up and got some responsible positions in RSS, I tried to remove the veil of secrecy by inviting press to various programmes of RSS. I used to feel quite let down when hardly any press person turned up for our programmes like festivals and camps etc. Generally, the English press reporters would simply forget the event by the evening probably with more interesting evening activities and the news would never get printed. If at all it got covered the inspiring speeches would be missing and so would be the stirring photographs of massive disciplined drills and parades.

I remember seeing a single photograph of RSS swayamsevaks taking bath on common taps in a camp with a cryptic line describing this chore, without any reference to the fact that the camp was being attended by nearly 10,000 RSS volunteers and had such a meticulous planning and organization that it would be envy of any organization. No indiscipline, no looting of stalls on way etc. etc.! Who is interested in such a boring organization.


Same fate awaited massive rallies of RSS or its associate organizations anywhere in India . I recall a massive Hindu mahasammelan that RSS associated organizations held in Mangalore just last week. Ofcourse it escaped the eyes of the so called National press as no one was beaten up nor was there any arson. May be if the volunteers had behaved abominably with some people the veil of secrecy over RSS could be ripped off.



I am aware, as a part of the young team of RSS workers during emergency, that the majority of people arrested during emergency were RSS workers. Not only that, but nearly 90% of satyagrahis who fought against emergency were from Sangh parivar. ( COMMENT: OF COURSE!! THE 'SECULARISTS' WERE COWERING IN THEIR RAT-HOLES!! THAT'S NEHRUVIAN SECULARISM!!).

But, all this was done so diabolically secretively that our thought leaders never got to know about this secret. They didn’t even study police records to find who were arrested and kept in jails for months, spoiling careers and businesses of thousands of RSS and associated activists. When new born Janata Party had no cadres or organization, RSS provided a readymade organization and cadres to fight elections and defeat the fascist Congress ideology. This secret was unraveled when our dear socialist friends tasted the fruits of power on the shoulders of young people like us and then tore apart the dreams of venerable leaders like Jai Prakash.



May be, what upsets the critics is the secret of the success of RSS. How does it manage to organize such massive numbers without any publicity machinery or media relations? May be, RSS should share the biggest secret of this success. May be it is mutual love and trust and bonding between its members, the nurturing of young workers by sheer love and training by seniors by examples of their own selfless and simple lives, rather than by lectures, the selfless love for the motherland, burning desire to do something for the society.

I am still thinking all this over and trying to unravel the secret.As I think over, I realized that the veil of secrecy has been thrown around RSS by the press itself. It thinks that by closing its eyes to the biggest voluntary organization in the world and not letting people know about its contributions to the society. May be in its own judgemental wisdom it has decided to be the prosecutor and the jury and decided that RSS work must be kept a secret from the society so the harm can be kept to the minimum.
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COMMENT 1:

EXCERPTS FROM :

“PERVERSION OF INDIA ’S POLITICAL PARLANCE”

Sita Ram Goel , Voice of India , New Delhi - 11002

1. “ It was the summer of 1959, I [ Shri Sita Ram Goel ] was working as the secretary of an organization of which the late SHRI JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN (J.P.) was the President. One day an RSS leader walked into my office. I had known him for a number of years. After some small talk, he suggested that I should request J.P. to visit an RSS camp which was being held in New Delhi at that time. J.P also happened to be in town. I was diffident about the proposition. Having worked with J.P. for more than a year, I sensed his preferences and prejudices. But I said to the RSS leader that I would do my best.”

2. “ I broached the subject to J.P. next day as soon as I found him alone, which was a rare event. J.P. seemed to be stunned as if I had uttered an obscenity. There was an expression of disapproval on his face which made me too feel uncomfortable. He was a gentle person who seldom lost his temper. But now he seemed to be on the verge of exploding. The atmosphere became tense. For a few moments none of us could find words to break the spell of silence.”

3. “ At last J.P. controlled himself and said: ‘ Do you know what you are talking about, and to whom’? There was a touch of temper in his voice. By now I had managed to collect my wits to a certain extent. I said: ‘ I knew the proposition would be annoying to you. Even so, I took a chance.’ He relaxed. I also heaved a sigh of relief. He said: ‘ You know that I have a certain standing in the country and a certain reputation in public life. You should not expect me to get mixed up with an organization which is known for its communal, reactionary, and revivalist character.’ I said: ‘ It is precisely because of your standing in the country and your reputation in public life that I have conveyed their invitation to you’. He said: ‘ I do not understand. Could you make yourself a little more clear’? I explained: ‘ Your standing in the country is that of a man of reason, and your reputation rests upon the keenness of your moral sense. I am sure that you will live upto that standard in this instance as well.’ He said: ‘ I try to do my best according to my understanding and strength of will. Tell me where and how I have failed.’ This encouraged me and I said: ‘ You have been practicing untouchability towards a section of your own people. You have never met the RSS people face to face. You have never listened to their side of the story. Yet you have formed an unsavoury opinion about them. This does not sound reasonable to me, nor just.’

4. “ He became thoughtful. I continued, ‘ Your status today is not that of a party politician seeking power, and fomenting partisan strife. You have been a father figure for the nation as a whole, almost the conscience keeper of our people. You raise your voice whenever you feel that an injustice has been done, or that justice is being denied. That is why people of all persuasions- Congressites, Socialists, Communists, Akalis, National Conference people and who not- come to you for consultation, for registering their complaints, for presenting their point of view, and for seeking your advice. You do not always agree with them. Yet you listen to them patiently, and give them your point of view. They do not always agree with your view of men and matters, nor always follow your advice. The point is that you are always accessible to them. You always go out and meet them whenever they invite you. It is only the RSS and allied people whom you avoid, so much so that one of their leaders could not come to you directly and had to convey an invitation through a small fry like myself. Tell me if this is not tantamount to practicing untouchability?’

5. “ He closed his eyes and shook his head several times. He seemed to be engaged in some inner struggle. I pressed the point, ‘ I am not inviting you to get mixed up with the RSS. Nor is it their intention to spread some snare for you. What they expect from a man like you is that you should try to know them first-hand rather than through hearsay or gossip in a partisan press controlled almost entirely by people who are hostile to them. Maybe you find that you have been mistaken about them. Maybe they benefit from the advice you give them. But all this can happen only when you meet them, listen to what they have to say, tell them frankly what you feel about them, and thus open the door for a fruitful dialogue in days to come. In any case, heavens are not going to fall simply because you go and visit one of their camps. That is all I have to say. Rest is for you to decide.’

6. “ He opened his eyes, smiled somewhat sadly, and said, ‘ You have put me in a rather awkward position. But I see the point in what you have said. I cannot easily refute your accusation. I can really be held guilty of practicing untouchability.’ I kept quie and waited for him to make up his mind. He did it in a moment, and said, ‘ Okay, you win. I am willing to visit the RSS camp. Make an appointment with them, and let me know. I hope tomorrow evening will suit them. Day after I am leaving Delhi .’

7. “ Next day he spent nearly two hours in the RSS camp, witnessing their mass drill, moved by the songs of devotion to the motherland, meeting and talking to their leaders, asking all sorts of questions, and offering his own comments. Finally, he sat on a chair facing a group of about hundred RSS workers from several parts of the country. The workers sat on the ground in row after row, stood up one by one to introduce themselves to their honoured guest of the evening. Each one of them told his name without mentioning any surname indicative of caste or community, his educational qualifications, the province from which he came, and years he had spent as a SWAYAMSEVAKA. I COULD SEE THAT J.P. WAS IMPRESSED. His face which had been grim so far softened suddenly, and visibly. Most of the SWYAMSEVAKAS held graduate and post-graduate degrees in arts, commerce, or science. All of them were between the ages of 20 and 35.”

8. “ At the end J.P. was requested to say a few words, and bless the quite confused, and did not know really what to say. I conveyed his feelings to the RSS leaders, who showed immediate understanding and did not press him anymore. As he was taking leave, J.P. looked at the BHAGVA DHVAJA, and observed, ‘ That I suppose is the Maratha Flag’. The RSS leader explained, ‘ The Marathas did not invent it. They borrowed it from an age-old national tradition. The saffron colour has always been the colour par-excellence of Indian spirituality as well as of Indian nationalism.’ J.P. said, ‘ I do not know. I have not been a student of History. But that is what a well known historian told me.’ The RSS leader smiled, and remained silent. The parting was rather warm on both sides.”

9. “ On our way back, J.P. muttered as if talking to himself, ‘ They have a lot of young and disciplined workers. The workers are also highly educated. I NEVER KNEW THAT. In our socialist movement, most of our workers are not even matriculates.’ I kept quiet and waited for him to say something more. He made one more comment as we got out of the car at the end of our journey. He said, ‘ Sitaramji, I am grateful to you for helping me break down what looked like an insurmountable wall. But I am not at all satisfied that it is not an attempt to revive the Maratha Empire.’

10. “ I could have asked him as to what was wrong with the Maratha Empire. I could also have told him that the Maratha Empire represented the triumph of a tough and long drawn struggle against Islamic Imperialism. But I was not prepared for some more frowns on his face. I had no status as a historian. Nor was my version of Indian History being taught in school and college text-books. J.P. was only repeating what most of our historians were saying from their august seats in universities and research institutes. (MY COMMENT: BUT OF COURSE. HAVEN’T WE READ ABOUT INDIAN HISTORY IN SHOURIE’S EMMINENT HISTORIANS-THEIR LINE-THEIR TECHNOLOGY-THEIR FRAUD?)

11. - - - --. “ J.P. had at last visited an RSS camp. He had been positively impressed by the quality of workers whom the RSS had mobilized in service of the nation. And yet he had retained his earlier reservations about the RSS. He could not visualize that the RSS was not a miracle that materialized out of thin air. He could not see that there was something in a society and a culture and a historical tradition which had created such a splendid band of selfless workers without the benefit of any patronage from the powers that be, and in the face of much malicious propoganda in the national and the international media.”
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http://world. christianpost. com/article/ 20031219/ 1016.htm

RSS neither Nationalist nor Fascist, Indian Christian priest's research concludes
Fri, Dec. 19, 2003 Posted: 07:52:38 AM EST
Kerala, India., Dec. 19 - The name of the research institution is Sorbonne University, Paris, France. The researcher is Dr. (Father) Vincent Kundukulam of St Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Aluva, Kerala. The thesis for the doctoral research is: Le RSS Et L'Eglise En Inde (RSS and Church in India).

To Fr. Kundukulam goes the credit for being the first Christian priest to do a doctoral thesis on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, that too in a foreign university. He is also the first clergyman to author a book on the RSS titled RSS: Enthu? Engott? (What is RSS and Where is it headed for).

In fact, a former clergyman, Anthony Elenjimittam, had published a book titled RSS: Bharathiya Samskruthiyude Kavalsena (RSS: Watchdog of Indian Culture) way back in 1951, but he had ceased to be a priest and had taken to social service when the book was published.

What motivated Fr. Kundukulam to conduct a research on the RSS was his conviction that the Catholic church should closely study the philosophy, organisational structure and working of all the socio-politico- cultural movements in the society in which it operates, imbibe the best in them, and invite a dialogue on their negative aspects.

The phenomenal growth of the RSS in post-Independent India, with its tentacles firmly rooted in all walks of life, all nooks and corners of the country, kindled his curiosity. In Madhya Pradesh, he came across a European who had been doing a doctoral thesis on 'Hindu nationalism' in the Sorbonne University.

"When I broached the idea of writing a book on my research findings on the RSS, some of my co-religionists cautioned me that the RSS men would beat me up if I wrote something against them. I have in my assessment of the RSS tried to be as objective as possible. It is of immense satisfaction to me that my book is well-received in the church and RSS circles," said Fr. Kundukulam in an interview at the Pontifical Seminary.

The conclusion drawn by Fr. Kundukulam is that RSS cannot be considered as a nationalist organisation in the sense in which the term 'nationalism' is generally interpreted in India.(COMMENT: SO ALSO 'SECULARISM" and "COMMUNALISM" !!) Nationalism represents the collective consciousness of the people transcending all barriers of caste, religion, etc. A nationalist is one who is primarily indebted to the nation. Religion has no place in nationalism. In this sense, Fr. Kundukulam argues, RSS, whose primary loyalty is to the Hindus, can hardly be called a nationalist organisation. In his view, RSS is a multi-faceted organisation which is political, cultural, religious and voluntary in nature and approach.

Different facets gain upperhand at different times depending on social and political exigencies.

At the same time, Fr. Kundukulam argues against branding the RSS ideology as fascism, Nazism, fundamentalism and communalism. He said the terms fascism, Nazism, and fundamentalism are much abused terms in India. They have a distinct connotation in the European context that can hardly apply to the Indian milieu.

The term fundamentalism was first coined inthe context of the emergence of the Protestant movement in the Christian church in America in the twenties.

The ideology of the RSS and the way in which it is interpreted by the Sangh leaders borrowing modern terminology have no camparison to the sense in which the term fundamentalism was used in America. So also, fascism and Nazism do have distinct meanings in the socio-political contexts that prevailed in Italy and Germany which have no bearing in the Indian context.

Fr. Kundukulam felt that communalism is not at all a part of religion. Communalism is nothing but mobilisation of people on communal lines to serve a specific cause. RSS can, therefore, be said to be communal only in a limited sense. BJP, the political arm of the RSS, during its rule at the Centre has not committed any acts that could truly be described as fundamentalist, fascist, or communal. "In fact, one of the first acts of A B Vajpayee after taking over as Prime Minister last time was to call on Mother Teresa and Delhi Archbishop," he said.

Fr. Kundukulam felt that the socio-political milieu of India offers a fertile ground for the RSS to grow.

One admirable aspect of the RSS, Fr Kundukulam says, is its flexibility to move with the times and to adopt the best from other socio-cultural- religious movements. It learnt the rudiments of social work from the missionary organisations of the church and mass mobilisation techniques from the communists.

He admires the RSS for the dedication and discipline of its cadres, the simple life style of its pracharaks, the moral teaching it imparts to the younger generation in its daily sakhas, and the voluntary labour put in by its cadres at critical times such as natural calamities.

Indian society, Fr Kundukulam feels, is in a "vicious circle" with the majority Hindu community suffering from a "psychological inferiority complex" on account of its failure to have a proportionate say in the governance of the country in spite of its numerical superiority and the minorities always suspicious of the majority community. The growth of minority fundamentalism would only strengthen the RSS.

"India can prosper only by strengthening the forces of democracy and secularism and ensuring economic justice to the people," concludes Fr. Kundukulam who is now busy working on the second edition of his book.
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TAILPIECE:

"SECRETIVE ORGANIZATION" - eh??? - "JAICHAND SPIN" , one presumes!!

JAI HO!! NEHRUVIAN SECULARISM!!

JAI HO!! JAICHANDS!!