Is RSS changing its tune to adapt itself to be acceptable amongst all sections of the society?
In the recently concluded three days conclave organized RSS at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi with the title “Future of Bharat: An RSS Perspective”, the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagvat delivered the lectures explaining the perspective of RSS on multiple controversial issues ranging from homosexuality, casteism, mob lynching, to Ram Temple, Muslims and a few more.
Clarifying the perspective of RSS on Muslims, he said that there was no Hindutva without Muslims. On the issue of the caste system, he said that RSS doesn’t support it and wants the equality amongst citizens.
Responding to the accusation of RSS being the remote control of the BJP government, he said that RSS only gives the suggestion to the party that too when consulted and that it hasn’t supported any political party in the last 93 years, but it has always supported some of the policies.
The critics of the RSS have always been very vocal against its core principles as propounded the Sarganchalaks such as Golwalkar, which are blatantly against the minorities, particularly Muslims.
That’s why Sangh is generally viewed as an organisation that aims to create a Hindu Rashtra empowering the Hindus and treating Muslims as the second class citizens. The first part of the statement is undoubtedly true, but has the perspective of RSS on Muslims really been changed or is it still as same as stated Golwakar is still a matter of debate.
But with the Mohan Bhagwat expressing the deviation from some of the core premises as propounded Golwalkar in his book “Bunch of Thoughts” saying that they are are not eternal, as they were said in due circumstances and particular context; one thing is very clear that RSS seemed to have realized that if it wants to shed its anti Muslim and exclusivist image, it can’t exclude one fifth of India’s population from its vision.
Mohan Bhagwat was also quoted saying that those who want to understand the Sangh, they must come and see how the Sangh functions from inside. This statement is, in fact, true to a great extent, as many people nowadays simply follow the trend of joining the popular bandwagon that criticises RSS every now and then, without being fully aware of many commendable works that it carries out on the ground level or rather understanding its real vision and objectives.
Currently, I am pursuing B.A(H) Political science from Satyawati College, Delhi University.
I like public speaking, writing and reading in my leisure.
