Today, #RSSKilledGandhi was trending on Twitter. Why? Arre Baba! Congress supporting group was irked by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS because they filed a complaint with the Karnataka Election Commission against Rahul Gandhi for his comments blaming it for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. The complaint was filed by RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav. Rahul Gandhi has criticised the BJP at Bhiwandi rally, when he referred to the Opposition party’s ideological mentor, the RSS. Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu activist. Sardar Patel, India’s first home minister, had then banned the RSS but revoked it within eight months, stating that the organisation had nothing to do with the killing. Rahul Gandhi had last month said Modi believed in an organisation like the RSS, whose “poisonous mentality” killed Gandhi.
The question is that, what is wrong if somebody is a RSS member? What is wrong in Modi following RSS ideology? RSS is not a terror outfit; they are patriots and volunteers to protect the nation. Most of the time, RSS is engaged in doing social work. Their members are the best contributors who volunteer to help during calamities within the nation. Let it be manmade disaster or natural calamity, they have always rendered their helping hand in serving people. BJP is their political wing and is one of the largest national parties in India. I bet, no one can give a single case where any allegation has been proven against RSS or any terror link established with this organisation. I know, you will cite only one example and that is Nathuram Godse. Nathuram Ghodse is often a misunderstood personality. He is referred to as a Hindu fanatic. It is often hard to understand Godse because the Government of India had suppressed information about him. His court statements, letters etc. were all banned from the public until recently. If you judge him from his writings, one thing becomes very clear that he was not a fanatic. His court statements are very well read out and indicate a calm and collected mental disposition. Godse had been working with the Hindu refugees fleeing from Pakistan. He had seen the horrible atrocities committed on them. Many women had their hands cut off; nose cut off, even little girls had been raped mercilessly. Despite this, Godse did not harm even a single Muslim in India which he could easily have. So, it would be a grave mistake to call him a Hindu fanatic. He very well knew that he would be hanged and his name would be disgraced as Gandhi was considered a saint. And again Godse could have ran away and escaped punishment. But he did the reverse. He called a police officer and courted arrest. Before we proceed, it would be wise to understand the backdrop of the assassination. Unfortunately, there are many allegations against RSS, without any evidences or proof, perhaps that is the reason, frustrated secular parties and their supporters just expand their vocal chords and misguide people about Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. If Government really has any concrete evidence of RSS indulging in terror activities or antinational activities, they should make those evidences public and have guts to ban RSS or prove who killed Mahatma Gandhi and why? If you want then organise a debate on this topic. Unnecessarily, commenting on the issue and creating chaos should not be done.
If you delve into history, you will know that the then RSS chief, M.S. Golwalkar, was arrested after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. On February 4, 1948, the government banned the RSS alleging that, contrary to its professed ideals, the RSS members had carried on violent activities, collected illicit weapons and exhorted people to violence. Rejecting the allegations but respecting the law, Golwalkar suspended the work of the RSS. Six months later, he was released but interned in Nagpur. On August 11, he wrote to Pandit Nehru that despite the “hasty and unbalanced action” against the RSS by those in highest authority, he offered to cooperate with them as the times were critical. Nehru, cleverly or properly, sent Golwalkar’s letter to Patel for response because just before Gandhiji’s assassination; speaking in Lucknow, Patel had warned “those in power in the Congress” against efforts “to crush” the patriotic RSS. Patel replied to Golwalkar recalling his positive views on the RSS and lauding the young RSS workers who served the Hindu society and protected women and children. But he also charged them with targeting “Mussalmans” in “burning revenge” to avenge “for the sufferings of the innocent” Hindus, and accused them of spreading “communal poison” that cost Gandhiji’s life. Still, Patel advised the RSS to “carry on” its “patriotic endeavour by joining and not opposing the Congress.”
Surprisingly, this letter did not reach Golwalkar. On September 24, Golwalkar again wrote to Patel — also Nehru — demanding that the allegations and the ban be withdrawn because countrywide searches and investigation had yielded no proof against the RSS. He also wrote to Patel trashing the allegations. On Patel’s suggestion that the RSS join the Congress, Golwalkar replied that the Congress in the political field and the RSS in the cultural domain could compliment and converge. And despite Golwalkar’s open challenge, no evidence was forthcoming. Nehru’s letter to Golwalkar (November 10) again asserted that the government had a “mass of information against the RSS.” Accusing Nehru of a closed mind, Golwalkar responded that to talk of “mass of evidence” without disclosing it amounted to convicting a person without evidence — like in the “Dark Ages.” His strong words obviously put off the government. On November 13, the Home Secretary refused to lift the ban and asked Golwalkar to go back to Nagpur. Golwalkar exploded and replied that such “arbitrary acts fit with autocratic rule” in “barbaric ages,” not “a civilised state.” Either prove or drop the charges, he challenged Patel. Refusing to leave Delhi, he asked the RSS workers to restart the suspended Shakas. In one month, some 80,000 RSS workers were arrested. However, Congress government has not proven against RSS. Later the ban was lifted unconditionally. Here is the proof. In a written statement to the Bombay Legislative Assembly on September 14, 1949 (Proceedings p2126), the Home Minister Morarji Desai admitted that the ban on RSS was no longer considered necessary; it was lifted unconditionally; and the RSS gave no undertaking. If no undertaking was indeed given in 1949, where is the question of reneging on it in 2014?
