The author of the book on MS Golwalkar highlights the unchanged Hindutva vision for about a century
Mohammad bin Ismail | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Noted journalist and author Dhirendra Kumar Jha has said that the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the key proponent of Hindutva, remains unchanged even after a century, significantly impacting the country’s Muslims.
Jha, who has authored several books on Hindutva and nationalist Hindu organisations, stated, “In the hundred years of its existence, the basic thought and ideology of the RSS has not changed, and everyone who has been trained in its shakhas (training camps) thinks the same way, be it Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.”
The RSS, founded on 27 September 1925, is known as the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to Jha, whether or not the RSS publicly acknowledges it, it effectively governs India through its political wing.
“For the last ten years, ever since the RSS and the Sangh Parivar government came to power in India, it has been making every effort to make Muslims second-class citizens, implementing the ideology of its second Sarsanghchalak (chief) MS Golwalkar,” Jha told a select group of journalists here recently.
He further added that the RSS has been actively pushing narratives that portray Muslims as outsiders in India. “The violent incidents in the name of cow protection and ‘love jihad’ are part of this effort. The controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) also clearly distinguishes Muslims from non-Muslims,” he said.
Jha, who recently authored Golwalkar: The Myth Behind the Man, the Man Behind the Machine, questioned the definition of a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation). “If a Hindu-majority country is considered a Hindu Rashtra, then when did it become one?” he asked, raising concerns over increasing religious polarisation.
He noted that the situation of Muslims has changed drastically after 2014, the year Modi became prime minister. “Today, talk to any Muslim in the country and he will tell you that the character of the state has changed,” he said. “You can debate the concept of a Hindu Rashtra, but Muslims are suffering from it; they are facing the consequences of a Hindu Rashtra.”
Referring to recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Jha pointed out inconsistencies in the organisation’s stance towards Muslims. Bhagwat had previously said that Hindus and Muslims share the same DNA and that India cannot be imagined without Muslims. He also stated that the search for a mosque under every temple should stop.
However, in a recent speech in Indore, Bhagwat claimed that India did not attain real independence in 1947 but on the day the Ram temple was inaugurated in Ayodhya earlier last year. This statement drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, which demanded action against him.
Jha argued that the RSS has a long history of contradicting its own statements. “It is no secret that the RSS did not participate in the country’s freedom movement, but from time to time, it has attempted to rewrite history in its favour,” he said.
Although the RSS claims to be independent of politics, Jha noted that it often plays a key role in BJP’s electoral victories. “Just months ago, the RSS was seen trying to take full credit for the BJP’s win in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections,” he said.
The RSS has been banned thrice in India for anti-national activities. The first ban was imposed in 1948 by then home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The ban was lifted 18 months later after Golwalkar agreed to government conditions, including keeping the organisation away from political activities.
Jha concluded by citing past leaders who had warned against the RSS’s approach. “Not only us, but Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi have also pointed out the contradiction between the words and actions of RSS leaders,” he said.
