Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
| At least we're not Pakistan Indian Politics |
|
| Jai Hind? |
| Persons of interest |
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS; Sanskrit: राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक सङ्घ, translated into English as National Volunteer Organization)[note 1] is a far-right extremist, paramilitary terrorist[2][3][4] organization[5] from India advocating Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). The RSS’s ideology was directly inspired by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.[6] RSS is the parent organisation of Bharatiya Janata Party, a Hindu party and current ruling party of India.
The RSS’s goal of Hindu supremacy brought them into conflict with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Hindu teachings and the secularism of independence leaders such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
. We all know what happened next... Gandhi was murdered on January 30, 1948; by Nathuram Godse, an RSS member. Bitter conflict between the Hindu nationalists and those advocating for a democratic secular and diverse India gave birth to a modern organization dedicated to bringing about its vision of a Hindu state.
India has banned the RSS on three separate occasions, once in 1948 after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, one after the imposition of the emergency during 1975 to 1977 by Indira Gandhi (where almost all sorts of opposition were arrested), and most recently after they razed the Babri Masjid claiming that it was built over a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindi god Rama in 1992. The organization was acquitted each time and its members vehemently deny militancy, although their critics disagree and often label it as a terrorist organization.[7]
History[edit]
| + | This section requires expansion. |
Role in freedom struggle[edit]
“”Hindus, don’t waste your energy fighting the British. Save your energy to fight our internal enemies that are Muslims, Christians and Communists.
|
| —Golwalkar, 2nd leader of RSS, most prominent Hindutva ideologue.[8] |
Major ideologues[edit]
V.D. Savarkar[edit]
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is credited for popularising the word “Hindutva’’. He is known to his followers by the honorific prefix 'Veer'; however, it is much less known that this title was bestowed by himself in a Hagiography he wrote with a different name![9]
“”Savarkar is born hero, he could almost despise those who shirked duty for fear of consequences. If once he rightly or wrongly believed that a certain system of Government was iniquitous, he felt no scruples in devising means to eradicate the evil.
|
| —Savarkar, pretending to be a different person while writing about himself in a biography |
Savarkar was deeply "Islamophobic" since childhood, admitting to having destroyed mosques and attacked Muslims with knives, pins, and foot rulers at the age of 12, as a reaction to the surge in attacks on Hindus.[citation needed]
“”We vandalized the mosque to our heart’s content and raised the flag of our bravery on it. We followed the war strategy of Shivaji
completely and ran away from the site after accomplishing our task. |
| —Vinayak Damodar Savarkar |
Savarkar was (and still) erroneously and wrongly (though blatantly) accused (especially by the opponents of Hindutva) of inventing the destructive two-nation theory mere 2-3 years ago before Muhammad Ali Jinnah proposed Pakistan.[note 2]
Savarkar criticised the British for banning Sati.[citation needed] For those unaware, sati refers to the practice of forcing or prompting widows to commit suicide, usually by being lit on fire over their deceased husband's body at the funeral. While it is true that the British banned it, they weren't the first, as the Muslims who ruled over India for centuries (the Mughal Empire) banned it before as well. Too rich and misogynistic even for Sharia law, it appears. Even the Indian National Congress (India's secularist party) banned the practice with the Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was allergic of Savarkar, as far as his Savarkar's sectarian ideology was concerned. Savarkar in turn, called Bose a "Hindu Jihadi".[10][11][12][13]
Now, the Hindu far-right in India has started rewriting history to portray Savarkar as a great freedom fighter.
“”We bow to Veer Savarkar on his Jayanti [Birthday]. Veer Savarkar epitomises courage, patriotism and unflinching commitment to a strong India. He inspired many people to devote themselves towards nation-building.
|
| —Narendra Modi[14] |
M.S. Golwalkar[edit]
M.S. Golwalkar (1903–1973), the second leader of the RSS, was allegedly a Nazi admirer and one of the first proponents of a Hindu Rashtra.
Pseudoscience[edit]
Cattle pseudoscience[edit]
In 2009, some RSS followers claimed that Western brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola were corrupting Indian culture, and introduced cow urine soda in India. The drink contained cow urine with flavours such as Aloe vera and some Ayurvedic herbs. They promote the drinking of cow urine as a cure for diseases arguing, "Cow urine offers a cure for around 70 to 80 incurable diseases like diabetes."[15]
In 2017, Shankar Lal, President of Bharatiya Gau Sewa Sangh (An RSS affiliate dedicated to Cow lovers) said.
Eugenics[edit]
In May 2017, RSS's health wing launched its grand plan to Make India Great Again, using Nazi eugenics.
Teaching babies Sanskar in womb[edit]
On March 2023, Samvardhini Nyas, a wing of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's section of the RSS, announced their new campaign titled Garbha Sanskar (Sanskrit: गर्भ संस्कार (though the actual term is Garbhadhana Sanskara, Sanskrit: गर्भाधान संस्कार)), to help indoctrinate foetuses into their ideology and religion even before they are born (albeit with questionable efficacy).
“”Pregnant women should be taught about the lives and struggles of Lord Ram, Hanuman, Shivaji and freedom fighters so that the child in the womb starts learning early about sanskar.
|
| —Madhuri Marathe, organising secretary of Samvardhinee Nyas |
It was also said that as a part of womb cleaning, reading Sanskrit and the Bhagavad Gita should also be done during pregnancy, claiming that if garbha sanskar was performed properly, even the DNA of the child in the womb could be changed.
“”It makes us wonder what is going wrong in pregnancy. 'Garbha Sanskar' starts even before pregnancy. The minute a couple thinks of a child, the role of ayurveda comes into play
|
| —Dr Rama Jayasunder, head, NMR department of AIIMS |
“”...Purification of the womb and a positive environment are much needed. Our target is to deliver 1,000 such garbha sanskar children every year in this country. This initiative is meant to restore the old glory of India... Mothers will be happy if they give birth to children like Lord Ram, who are duty-bound towards parents and save the country too
|
| —Rajani Mittal, co-convener |
To top it all off, some homophobia:[17]
“”If the mother already has a son as her firstborn and expects her second-born to be a girl, but gives birth to a boy, then the child could grow up to be homosexual
|
| —Shweta Dangre |
Stopped Clock[edit]
In recent years, the RSS has accepted LGBT members and some leaders have made statements supporting LGBT rights, though some say that such support is likely "hollow and superficial" to attract more supporters by utilizing Christophobia and Islamophobia from these communities harbouring anti-LGBT sentiments and homophobia.[18]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Rashtriya/राष्ट्रीय means National, Swayamsevak/स्वयंसेवक means Volunteer, and Sangh/सङ्घ means Organization.
- ↑ See Two-nation theory § Roots of Muslim separatism in Colonial India (17th century–1940s)
References[edit]
- ↑ Dress how you want to be addressed: RSS and fascism. Indian National Herald.
- ↑ See the Wikipedia article on Saffron terror.
- ↑ CIA document tags VHP and Bajrang Dal as militant religious outfits ThePrint
- ↑ When shall the UNSC declare RSS a terrorist outfit? Modern Diplomacy
- ↑ Les Back and John Solomos (2000), Theories of Race and Racism: A Reader, p.591, ISBN 9780415156714. "It is important to note the marriage between far-right-wing Hindutva ideology and Western New Ageism in the works of writers like David Frawley (1994, 1995a, 1995b) who is both a key apologist for the Hindutva movement and the author of various New Age books on Vedic astrology, oracles and yoga."
- ↑ Guruji’s Lie: The RSS and MS Golwalkar’s undeniable links to Nazism by Dhirendra K Jha (31 July 2021) The Caravan.
- ↑ I. K. Shukla (2003). Hindutva: An Autopsy of Fascism as a Theoterrorist Cult and Other Essays. Media House. pp.105–. ISBN 978-81-7495-143-4. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- ↑ BJP's brand of patriotism Deccan Herald
- ↑ Savarkar praised and called himself ‘Veer’ in biography penned by himself National Herald
- ↑ Collaborator Savarkar versus Freedom Fighter Bose Sabrang SHAMSUL-ISLAM 26 January 2016
- ↑ Savarkar really inspired Subhas Chandra Bose? Experts weigh in India Today Subodh Kumar 31 May 2023, 12:11 IST
- ↑ Subhas Chandra Bose wasn’t ‘anti-Savarkar’. Here’s how it’s more nuanced than you thought The Print Chandrachur Ghose 23 January 2022 10:02 am IST
- ↑ The fateful meeting of Savarkar and Netaji Subhas The Pioneer Dr. Gour Mohanty Friday, 3 February 2023
- ↑ Narendra Modi, 28 May 2019, archived from Twitter.
- ↑ Udder Nonsense? Cow Urine Promoted for Health Benefits Livescience
- ↑ RSS Leader Applies Cow Dung On His Cellphone To Guard Against Radiation Huffington Post.
- ↑ Teach babies 'sanskar' in womb: RSS wing to doctors The Times of India
- ↑ RSS chief bats for rights of transgender, LGBTQ citizens The Hindu