RSS is not loyal to the Tricolour, our National Flag

UNDOING INDIA 'THE FAMILIAL WAY'

Ram Madhav a senior RSS ideologue and the BJP general secretary while defending interactions between RSS and BJP ('A family gets together', The Indian Express, 15-09-2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/a-family-gets-together/ ) makes two important points. Firstly, he argues that such interactions are normal. According to him organizations interact with the governments in democracy 'then why an objection in this case?' But the issue of growing linkages between RSS and PM Modi and his ministers is not that simple.

There is a sinister dimension to it. PM Modi and his ministers have taken oath to safeguard a democratic-secular Indian polity. But 'big and popular organization' RSS is not committed to it. The documents from the RSS archives tell a shocking story with which Ram Madhav must be familiar.

When the Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution in November 1949 the RSS English organ Organizer (November 30, 1949) in an editorial demanded Manusmriti as the constitution of India. It read: “But in our constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing”.

RSS is not loyal to the Tricolour, our National Flag and wants to replace it with bhagwa flag. On the eve of Independence Organizer denigrated this symbol of national unity by declaring that the Tricolour will "never be respected and owned by Hindus. The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country."

RSS is allergic to democracy. MS Golwalkar, the most prominent ideologue of the organization while delivering a speech before 1350 top level cadres at the RSS Resham Bagh headquarters, Nagpur in 1940 demanded India to be governed by “one flag, one leader and one ideology of Hindutva".

We need to know from Ram Madhav who is learning from whom. If 'The RSS is their ideological fountainhead' then surely days of democratic-secular India are numbered.

Ram Madhav's second point is that 'RSS neither controls nor commands' its 40-plus organizations. According to him, 'in a very familial way, they come together occasionally to discuss and exchange notes'. To understand the RSS ' familial way' we need to go back to Guruji Golwalkar to understand how RSS manipulates politics.  Addressing a gathering of top ranking RSS cadres on March 16, 1954, at 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."

Long after the establishment of Bhartiya Jansangh (the forerunner of the BJP) he reiterated this 'familial way' while addressing state/regional level RSS parcharaks at Indore, Madhya Pradesh on March 5, 1960 in the following words: “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.”

Ram Madhav's concluding comment that after the recent RSS and BJP conclave   'ideological family went home content with the general direction of the country under the new government' is a cause of great concern. It means that government headed by PM Modi committed to a democratic-secular India is being influenced by the forces which have been inimical to India as we know.

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-unmaking-of-india/

Shamsul Islam