Nowadays, discussions are held on social networking sites about RSS and BJP. Congress party workers have been questioning the ideology of RSS and also are attacking the organization on twitter. Congress worker, Amaresh Misra had asked ten questions to RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav and our Group Editor Vaidehi Sachin about RSS’s past and activities undertaken by it. Vaidehi Sachin replied to the questions asked byAmaresh Misra.
1) Is RSS’ Hindu Rashtra ideology compatible with the Indian Constitution?
Hindu Rashtra – This ideology has become the cornerstone of the political and religious agendas of modern Hindu nationalist bodies like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Hindutva political demands include revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that grants a special semi-autonomous status to the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, adopting a uniform civil code, thus ending a special legal framework for Muslims. These particular demands are based upon ending laws that Hindu nationalists consider as offering special treatment to Muslims.
An important influence upon Hindu realisation arises, this described India as a Hindu Rashtra, a Hindu nation. An important influence upon Hindu consciousness arises from the time of Islamic empires in India. Entering the 20th century, Hindus formed over 75 per cent of the population and thus unsurprisingly the backbone and platform of the nationalist movement. Modern Hindu thinkers desired to unite Hindu society across the boundaries of caste, linguistic groups and ethnicity. In 1925, K.B. Hedgewar founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur, Maharashtra, which grew into the largest civil organisation in the country, and more potent, mainstream base of Hindu nationalism. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar coined the term Hindutva for his ideology that described India as a Hindu Rashtra, a Hindu nation. Hindu Rashtra is demand of Hindus as they have only one country. Muslims, Christians and other religions have choice to settle in foreign countries based on their ideologies and following these religions. “Hindustan” is the country which belongs to Hindus and calling it Hindu Rashtra is fundamental demand and right of every Hindu. RSS played a great role in guarding Hindu Dharma.
2. Didn’t Guru Golwalkar oppose granting voting rights to Dalits/tribals?
Guru Golwakar was very much liberal and always believed in reform. It is appropriate to deal with the question; ‘Are Tribals Hindus?’ The Congress minds always divided tribals making them believe that they are not Hindus. During the revival of Hindu fundamentalism, the Sangh Parivar left no stone unturned to make others believe that the Tribals are Hindus and opposed mass conversion. Many argued saying on the basis of religious, cultural, and legal considerations, tribals are not Hindus. The Hindus have scriptures like the Srutis, Smritis, the Epics, the Puranas and Darshanas. However, the RSS has always said that tribals and Dalits, Hindu should get equal voting rights. Congress was forcing them to get converted to Christianity or Islam. It’s the RSS who let those tribals live with their own beliefs.
3. Memoirs of Rajeshwar Dayal, ICS: Evidence of British-Golwalkar communal tie-up exists. Your take on it?
When Sardar Patel suggested to Golwalkar that the RSS should join the Congress, the RSS supremo opposed saying, the two should work separately and “converge”. The first Home Secretary of UP, Rajeshwar Dayal, has in his autobiography, A Life of Our Times, told this story about Golwalkar and Congress stalwart, Govind Ballabh Pant, UP’s longest serving Chief Minister and Union Home Minister from 1955 to 61. When communal tension in UP was high, Dayal carried incontrovertible evidence to Pant about Golwalkar’s plans to create a “communal holocaust in western UP”. Pant was convinced but he would not permit them to arrest the RSS chief. In fact, Golwalkar was allowed to escape, having been duly tipped off.”On January 30, 1948 when Gandhi, the Supreme Apostle of Peace was gunned down by an RSS fanatic,” Dayal concludes: “The tragic episode left me sick at heart”. While praying, would they “converge” when Hindu Rastra has been achieved?
4. Did RSS etc oppose Nehru’s progressive measure of giving women their due property share?
The Nehru administration succeeded in passing four Hindu code bills in 1955–56: the Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, and Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act. These laws continue to be controversial till date among women, religious, and nationalist groups. While there may be a permanence of certain fundamental beliefs about the nature of life that is pervasive through Hinduism, Hindus as a group are highly non-homogenous. As Derrett says in his book on Hindu law, “We find the Hindus to be as diverse in race, psychology, habitat, employment and way of life as any collection of human beings that might be gathered from the ends of the earth.” The Dharmasastra—the textual authority on matters of marriage, adoption, the joint family, minorities, succession, religious endowments, and caste privileges—has often been seen as the private law of the Hindus. However, whatever is known and interpreted about this Hindu law is a jumble of rules, often inconsistent and incompatible with one another, that are lacking in uniformity. This is Nehru who said some Hindu groups opposed the bill but there is no mention about RSS opposing such bills. Every Hindu organisation can’t be labelled as RSS.
5. Wasn’t Godse trying to pass off as a Muslim when he killed Gandhi?
Godse approached Gandhi on January 30, 1948 during the evening prayer at 5:15 pm. When Godse bowed, one of the girls flanking and supporting Gandhi, Abha Chattopadhyay, said to Godse, Bapu is already late” and tried to put him off, but he pushed her aside and shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point-blank range with a Beretta M 1934 semi-automatic pistol. Gandhi was taken to Birla House, where he passed away. Godse himself called police and surrendered without fleeing, later he was hanged at Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949. Your question is quite irrelevant.
6. Idols in Ayodhya Ram temple were kept by communal forces in 1948? Patel opposed it?
It’s incorrect and utter lie. Ayodhya is claimed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama. Archeological Survey of India (ASI), after conducting excavations at the site reported that prior to 1528, filed a report which stated that a temple stood at this site before the arrival of Mughals who constructed Babri Mosque at its present site. Critics of the report claim that the “presence of animal bones throughout as well as of the use of ‘surkhi’ and lime mortar” that was found by ASI are all characteristics of Muslim presence, which they claim “rule out the possibility of a Hindu temple existing there beneath the mosque.
From 1528 to 1992, this was the site of the Babri Mosque. The mosque was razed in 6 December 1992 by a mob of some 150,000 nationalist Hindus supported by the nationalists. Nobel Laureate novelist V. S. Naipaul has praised Hindu nationalists for “reclaiming India’s Hindu heritage”.
Naipaul added that the destruction of Babri structure was an act of historical balancing and the reclaiming of the Ram Janmabhoomi was a “welcome sign that Hindu pride was re-asserting itself”.
The 1986 edition of the Encyclopedia ‘Britannica’ stated that “Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Moghul Emperor Babar in 1528 on the site claimed of an earlier temple. Archaeological excavations at the site by the Archeological Survey of India reported the existence of a 10th-century temple.
“The report stated that scientific dating indicated human activity at the site as far back to the 17th century BC. On 30 September 2010, Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.7 acres disputed land in Ayodhya, on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on 6 December 1992, will be divided into three parts, the site of the Ramlala idol to Lord Ram, Nirmohi Akhara gets Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara, Sunni Wakf Board gets a third.
7. RSS was responsible for the break-up of the anti-Congress Janata Party? Wasn’t it?
What is anti-Congress Janata party? Split – was not based on ideology or political concepts. RSS was never engaged in or encouraged such practices. Janata party’s political survival appears to have been their sole motive.
Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, who virtually started the Janata Dal’s tilt towards the BJP-led front during the last Lok Sabha elections when he accepted the support of the Akali Dal, a constituent of the NDA, maintained a neutral stance, although he is believed to be in agreement with the minority group.
The split was preceded by hectic discussions and maneuvers spread over three days, aimed at working out a compromise. These efforts, however, failed; since July 21, each side has claimed that it is the “real” Janata Dal.
Subsequently, the two groups made a series of expulsion announcements. Sharad Yadav became one of the first casualties when the majority group in the PAC expelled him from the post of party president and appointed Deve Gowda in his place. BJP leaders themselves are sceptical about the gains their party would accrue.
In fact, the split may prove to be a bigger headache for the BJP in particular and the NDA in general, than to the secular opposition. Barely 24 hours after the Janata Dal split, power equations begun to change within the NDA, and even within the BJP. There were reports within the constituents of the NDA that the developments vis-a-vis the Janata Dal were a part of an elaborate strategy initiated by then Defence Minister and Samata Party leader George Fernandes to secure greater clout within the NDA at the expense of the BJP. It is no secret that Vajpayee enjoys little support or authority within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is also well known that since the time he became Prime Minister, Vajpayee has had to reckon with many RSS and BJP leaders, including Home Minister L.K. Advani.
Time and again, he has had to fall back on allies such as the Trinamool Congress and the Telugu Desam Party to get his views to prevail over those of the RSS leadership and even Advani. In fact, section of the BJP have termed the so-called “re-unification” of the Janata Dal a Vajpayee-inspired manoeuvre aimed at increasing the BJP’s dependence on other constituents of the NDA. Many people in the Sangh Parivar, especially those opposed to Vajpayee, have spoken out against the entry of the Janata.
Top RSS leaders too are opposed to the idea of the Janata Dal joining the NDA. In fact, that group of Janata Dal leaders who favour an alliance with the NDA initiated efforts to placate RSS leaders such as K. Sudarshan and H.V. Seshadri. However, the Sangh Parivar leaders, particularly Sudarshan, refused to budge and called the Janata Dal leadership a bunch of unreliable politicians.
8. How many RSS activists were caught burning Sikhs during 84′ anti-Sikh riots?
Give me one RSS man who is accused or convicted for 1984 Sikh riots. The Congress falsely arrested few RSS workers and couldn’t find any evidence against them.
9. Why did UP 1992 BJP government give sworn affidavit to the Central Govt to protect Ayodhya Masjid?
Let this question be answered by Congress and BJP ministers……….
10. Why did Mohan Bhagwat call Lord Ram, a Mahapurush, not God, after Allahabad court judgement?
God descended as a human and lived as an ideal person. Hence, God Rama is called as a Mahapurush.
