How RSS Cracked the Mainstream Code
February 15, 2021
Founded in 1925, the RSS was born from the disenchantment of a certain section of Congressmen from Gandhi’s non-violence movement and Hindu-Muslim togetherness. Keshav Baliram Hegdewar, inspired by Sawarkar setup the organisation emphasizing on initiating unity, discipline and culture consciousness among Hindus. By the 1930s RSS started expanding its footprints as a Hindu para-military organisation, which attracted close attention from the British Government. In an effort to steer clear of any punitive action, RSS, under the leadership of Golwalker, avoided all political associations including the Hindu Mahasabha and stayed away from the Quit India Movement in 1942.
Post the ban following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, and the subsequent overturning a few years later, RSS started looking at avenues to influence National politics which led to the birth of the Jan Sangh. It was not until Emergency that Jan Sangh received national importance and the Hindutva ideology of RSS hogged the limelight. The eighties and the nineties saw mass mobilizations by RSS in support of Ram Mandir and Akhand Bharat issues but yet RSS failed to enter the mainstream political discourse of India. With BJP’s fortunes on an upswing, RSS, however, continued to silently hover on the fringe all along.
Anna Hazare’s Andolan for Lokpal bill did what years of grassroots mobilization had failed to achieve for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS). It catapulted nationalism to the mainstream of politics and swayed public imagination like nothing else post Independence. From students to housewives to middle-class office goers, the baying for a change echoed across the nation. It was a national awakening. Waving the tricolour across the Ramlila Maidan, Anna Hazare became a symbol for nationalistic passion. Bharatmata came alive from Bankimchandra’s novel Anandamath, across thousands of gatherings Nationwide. The entrenched political establishment started trembling before street smart Nationalism and the edifice crumbled soon after.
Some credit RSS for propping up the Lokpal Andolan for suiting the needs of its political offshoot BJP. Irrespective of the merit of this theory, the RSS did themselves a great service by not publicly attempting to claim any credit. It was a masterstroke. The Ram Mandir Andolan of the early nineties were accompanied by riots bloodshed. Although it reaped political benefits for the BJP, RSS was still a pariah in the mainstream. The economy was a much bigger concern to the majority of the population than religious fanaticism and Congress ultimately trounced successive BJP governments by projecting the astute economist Dr Manmohan Singh as the captain in charge.
Things were hunky-dory till the CAG intervened with its reports of colossal loss and were countered by Kapil Sibal’s claims of zero loss. The anger against the political dispensation started boiling over and was stoked by the caustic remarks from spokespersons like Manish Tiwary who often seemed oblivious to the mood on the streets. The stage was set for the entry of Anna Hazare whose earthy words and stoic humour instantly clicked with the Millenials who started getting attracted to the idea of India Against Corruption.
Repeated attempts by the BJP to join in proved futile as the sweeping anger didn’t differentiate between political colours. The Jan Andolan brought forwards astute leaders like Arvind Kejriwal who were RTI stalwarts in their own right. All through this churning, India witnessed a silent return of nationalism to mainstream discourse. Images of Anna kindled comparisons with the Mahatma, while Arvind and others slipped in the roles of Bhagat Singh and his group of disruptors of status quo. Along with all these, of course, Bharat Mata returned to the centre stage. All earlier attempts by RSS to bring nationalism to the forefront brought back memories of Nathuram Godse and the ghastly killing of Bapu. With Anna leading the fight this time, nationalism hit no such roadblocks and firmly changed the political discourse in the country.
BJP and RSS were quick to realize the importance of this monumental change. Hitherto all agitations which flaunted the tricolour and were accompanied by the chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai were branded as patriotic. All those who opposed were cast aside as anti-nationals. Mainstream parties like the Congress which used the wear patriotism up its sleeve were dumbfounded and left searching for answers. Political outsiders like Kejriwal rode on nationalism to unseat Congress from Delhi. Narendra Modi seized the opportunity to project BJP as a nationalistic party fighting against corrupt dynastic politics.
The RSS which fronted Hinduism right from its foundation days broke into the mainstream on the crest of nationalism. Hindustan, Hinduism, and the concept of a Hindu Rashtra achieved a mass acceptance among the classes and the masses pan India. The politics of iftaar parties and minority appeasement took a backseat as leaders across the political spectrum started wearing the janeyu up their sleeves and embarked on a Mandir hopping spree. Hinduism merged in nationalism became the buzzword for our netas in election after election. In a near-silent transformation, RSS achieved what even Lal Krishna Advani failed to achieve with his ‘rath yatra’. Topics like uniform civil code, the abolition of article 370, the abolition of triple talaq were taken up by Parliament, and laws enacted with a near-unanimous majority.
The RSS has finally arrived. It’s true that despite being involved in various social works across the country for more than a century, RSS had failed to get the mass acceptance it desired. The Lokpal Andolan, led by Anna Hazare, was truly a watershed moment in Indian politics. Nationalism in politics is for here to stay and was well recognized by none other than our mercurial ex-President late Shri Pranab Mukherjee who accepted a much-debated invitation to the RSS headquarters. It is upon our political leaders and the common man to guard against abuse in the name of nationalism. Let’s cherish nationalism for the betterment of the country.
