Note
RSS and its Fringe Organisations
Ram Puniyani
After Rashtriyaswayam
Sevak Sangh (RSS) was
formed it went on creating many organisations steeped in its ideology of Hindutva or Hindu Nationalism, a concept based on Aryan race, Brahminical values and the land from Sindhu to Seas. It has given birth to many organisations which are more than 100. Many other organisations have sprouted which may not be a formal part of Sangh Parivar, as known popularly, but have the same ideology. These include many others like association of Sadhus and saints outside the VHP, the cow vigilantes and those out to initiate violence at the drop of hat in the name of Hinduism.
For Cow vigilantes, Modi had given a statement that murder in the name of cow is not acceptable, and just a few hours later a Muslim man was done to death on this issue. Apart from this phenomenon video is going viral where two men dressed as Santa Claus are being beaten up by hooligans at the Kankaria Carnival in Ahmedabad. This probably is the first year where people dressed as Santa Claus are being hauled up. Bajrang Dal has also issued warnings to Hindus for their attending Christmas parties.
Recently people also saw the claims on mosques that there was such a temple so it must be dug up a la Babri Masjid style. Seeing the spate of such made-up claims, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat himself said that it is not desirable to keep looking for Shivling under every mosque. It is amazing that the claim is made, and dispute created in Kashi where a fountain-looking structure is claimed to be a Shivling and demand for converting the mosque into a temple boosted. After the Sambhal claims, the violence followed.
Probably shaken by this and the feeling that the Supreme Leader of the supra political outfit felt it will bring loss of face for ‘RSS Combine’ and so he gave a sane looking call, “The Ram Temple was about faith, and Hindus wanted it built. But raising disputes about new sites out of hate is unacceptable,” he said. “Some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by creating new controversies. How is this allowed?”
Strangely enough most of the fringe organisations of Hindutva politics are coming forward to oppose it. One knows that RSS is a strict disciplinarian organisation, and its members do not violate the commands of its leader. So, who are these Senas, Dharma Sansads springing up by a dozen and going against the appeal of Bhagwat?
To cap it all, RSS’s unofficial mouth piece Organizer itself came forward to articulate the fringe elements’ demands. It also claims that temple restorations are for national identity and to seek civilisational justice.
How come the hate is so pervasive that it is crossing the limits set by its own leaders? The likes of Bhagwat and Modi are witnessing right in front of their eyes that the Genie can be unleashed from the bottle, but to put it back is a task, which is close to impossible.
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Vol 57, No. 30, Jan 19 - 25, 2025 |