Sangh and Hindu interests: A note on the RSS by a Sanghi who never went to a Shakha

[-=virus=-]

(The following is an extract from the book ‘Sanghi Who Never Went To A Shakha’, and is being republished here in wake of some social media debate happening over RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwant’s statement about Hindu-Muslim unity and common ancestry)


Since I have self-identified myself as a ‘Sanghi’ and even titled this book as such, I thought I should specifically clarify that I hold no brief for the RSS, and my views or commentary in this book may or may not match with the worldview of an average RSS swayamsevak (volunteer) or ideologue.

Even though I had put this disclaimer in the beginning of the book itself, let me expound it a little more and also share my views on the RSS.

First of all, I am yet (till the point of finishing this book in August 2020) to attend any shakha even though I’ve been vocal about my ideological beliefs for a few years now. I still have no idea about the daily or even weekly activities an RSS member undertakes inside or outside a shakha.

Yes, I’ve been to a couple of gatherings of RSS members and sympathizers to understand the RSS and their beliefs, and to be honest, I can’t say that I agree with all of them. And surely, even the RSS doesn’t expect everyone to agree with them on everything.

From my limited interactions, I have come to the conclusion that the RSS is not ‘Sanghi’ enough! Obviously, I am using the term ‘Sanghi’ as understood or imagined by people in the popular narrative—both by those who like the term as well as those who hate it.

The aggression and belligerence that one may imagine or desire in a Sanghi were hardly there in any senior RSS member whom I met. Most of them preferred an unhurried and persuasive approach towards problem-solving.

I could be wrong in my assessment, but I don’t think the RSS believes in bringing ‘radical’ changes, either in the society or polity. They want things to change at their own pace, without disturbing too many things or people.

If someone brands the RSS as a group of Hindu ‘radicals’, that will be as inaccurate as it can get. Unfortunately, that’s how the RSS is often branded. I actually know a couple of former RSS members who left the organization in frustration, as they found the RSS to be just ‘too soft’ and slow to their liking.

It’s true that there are organizations like the VHP or the Bajrang Dal—they have members who could also be RSS members, but they are not technically ‘RSS-affiliated’ organizations—which are aggressive in comparison, but the RSS in itself talks about ‘vyakti nirmaan’ (development of an individual’s character) and ‘samajik samrasta’ (social harmony, which includes all Indians). It doesn’t really talk exclusively about the Hindu society as such.

And this is where the Sangh often comes under attack by those Sanghis who have never been to any shakha. Not that I agree with all such criticism, but one of the most common criticisms of the Sangh, especially of its leadership, is that it has got its priorities all wrong, and can’t see the existentialist threats the Hindu society faces. When an RSS member is killed in Kerala or Bengal, such Sanghis get angry and start attacking the leadership for not doing enough to protect their own.

The statements and thoughts that tend to include everyone born in India, regardless of his religion, as a Hindu—and such statements have come from no less than the RSS chief himself on occasion—are cited as proof of ideological confusion within the RSS, which makes it blind to the existentialist threats.

For example, during his 2019 Dussehra address, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said, ‘Those who belong to Bharat, those who are descendants of Bharatiya ancestors, those who are working for the ultimate glory of [the] nation & joining hands in enhancing peace, respecting and welcoming all diversities; all those Bharatiyas are Hindus.’

Ironically, such statements should have impressed me in my pre-2012 days, but then I thought that being branded a Sanghi is similar to ‘character assassination’. I am a pragmatist and not an idealist, so I don’t really know what purpose it serves by having such an inclusive and conciliatory approach when no one is really willing to trust or embrace you.

Under no stretch of the imagination could everyone born or living in India be seen as a Hindu, even culturally. I personally would categorize Indians in five broad different categories, based on their approach towards Hindutva, that is, Hinduness. These are:

Hostile : Those who are hostile towards it and openly talk about annihilating Hindutva or Hinduism—they are honest enough to not create a fake distinction between the two terms—such as the Periyarites, neo-Ambedkarites, Islamists or Evangelists. They simply want to eradicate this identity. They see Hinduism either as oppressive or a fundamentally inferior idea, and thus worthy of being eliminated.

Condescending : Those who are prejudiced against Hindutva or Hinduism, but are willing to ‘tolerate’ this identity for various reasons. Most of the so-called liberals fall in this category, who would tolerate Hinduism only when it’s deracinated to their heart’s content. For instance, when all Hindu festivals are either heavily regulated or secularized, such as Onam—which is ‘a festival of harvest and has nothing to do with Hinduism’.

Indifferent : Those who are indifferent towards Hindutva or Hinduism, primarily because they are not aware of the challenges or they are just too busy or motivated by mundane things in life—mostly, the ‘Congressi Hindus’, whom I have mentioned earlier in the book. Their thinking is influenced more by the above two groups than the below two groups. Many non-Hindus can also fall into this category.

Supportive : Those who are conscious of their Hindu identity and also support the Hindu causes. They may or may not be vocal, but they are definitely not indifferent. Many self-identifying Sanghis—not the actual Sanghis—fall in this or the next category. Statements such as those by the RSS chief that I pointed to earlier suggest many non-Hindus fall in this category too, which I hope is true, but I’m not really sure.

Assertive : Those who are not only conscious of the identity, but are willing to take that extra step, including some risks, to celebrate, propagate and defend this identity. However, it’s not a homogenous group. How they defend it, and what exactly they aim to propagate and defend may vary from one sub-group to another.

In my opinion, the RSS should provide clarity and leadership to the last two groups (Supportive and Assertive) and try to convert the middle group (Indifferent). One may have a conversation with the second group (Condescending), but on its own terms (i.e., on the Assertive group’s terms), and defeat the first one (Hostile) without any attempt at reconciliation.

I personally am almost paranoid about the future of Hindus. I think that the Hostile and Condescending groups together account for at least 30% of the Indian population; this can turn into a tipping point quite soon. Furthermore, as I have mentioned at one place in this book, I see eerie similarities between what’s happening now and what had happened in the few decades leading to the Partition of India. I see history repeating itself unless Hindus wake up.

Further, Hinduphobia has been normalized and intellectualized to frightening levels, where a Hindu talking about any injustice against him is branded a bigot. Anything that celebrates or propagates Hinduism will increasingly be argued as being detrimental to creating ‘safe spaces’. This has already started happening both in India and abroad, aided with the rhetoric around ‘Brahminism’.

I feel that Hindus are nicely being fed and fattened for the ceremonial slaughter—that’s how paranoid I am right now. Any attempt to wake them up and show them the civilizational dangers is ironically termed as ‘attempts to distract from the real issues’.

My paranoia may or may not be justified, but owing to that, I feel that Hindus need community leadership that can lucidly and logically explain the threats the community faces. It should be done quickly, before more people turn paranoid like me. I am not really happy being this way!

And I feel that the RSS is best placed to provide such leadership to the community, owing to its size and legacy. But, the organization itself wants to continue being a ‘nationalist’ outfit, focused on character building, rather than a Hindu outfit focused on community-building. That’s where I am not too happy.

Actually what I’m suggesting is not at all different from what Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of RSS, had said. The following quote of Dr Hedgewar is mentioned as the vision and mission of the RSS on their own website:

“The Hindu culture is the life-breath of Hindusthan. It is therefore clear that if Hindusthan is to be protected, we should first nourish the Hindu culture. If the Hindu culture perishes in Hindusthan itself, and if the Hindu society ceases to exist, it will hardly be appropriate to refer to the mere geographical entity that remains as Hindusthan. Mere geographical lumps do not make a nation.The entire society should be in such a vigilant and organized condition that no one would dare to cast an evil eye on any of our points of honour. Strength, it should be remembered, comes only through organization. It is therefore the duty of every Hindu to do his best to consolidate the Hindu society.”

Then, has the RSS lost its way or self-declared Sanghis like me can’t see how the organization is still on track and following their founder’s vision? I need answers there.

(The book ‘Sanghi Who Never Went To A Shakha’, authored by Rahul Roushan, was published by Rupa Publications and released on 10 March 2021. The link to buy the book is here.)

A note on the RSS by a Sanghi who never went to a Shakha

Does the Sangh not see even the existentialist threats the Hindu society faces? | OpIndia News

www.opindia.com

 

[jamahir]

but the RSS in itself talks about ‘vyakti nirmaan’ (development of an individual’s character) and ‘samajik samrasta’ (social harmony, which includes all Indians).

"Social harmony" indeed.

And how does learning stick fight and other such fighting arts help a person in "developing an individual's character" and build social harmony ?

And I went to the book's website. The people who read and wah-wah'ed the book are the usual anti-social suspects : Anupam Kher, Vivek Agnihotri, Mohandas Pai etc.

Also, the author is CEO of the right-wing "news" website OpIndia. Enough said.

 

[jamahir]

Hostile : Those who are hostile towards it and openly talk about annihilating Hindutva or Hinduism—they are honest enough to not create a fake distinction between the two terms—such as the Periyarites, neo-Ambedkarites, Islamists or Evangelists. They simply want to eradicate this identity. They see Hinduism either as oppressive or a fundamentally inferior idea, and thus worthy of being eliminated.

The author should try to explain the "benefits" of Brahmanvaad to the ghost of Dalit student Rohith Vemula who committed suicide in 2016 in a hostel room in Hyderabad University because he was being oppressed by Upper Caste university officials. He was a member of the Ambedkar Students' Association.

 

[-=virus=-]

"Social harmony" indeed.

And how does learning stick fight and other such fighting arts help a person in "developing an individual's character" and build social harmony ?

A lot of parents around the world enroll their kids in martial arts classes, does that mean that they are hoping for their children to go around punching/kicking/beating up people ?

Here's a second one, a lot of people volunteer to serve in the forces.. does that mean they all suffer from a bloodlust that wants to go around killing/bombing people from other countries ?

Dunno what your twisted mind will come up with but the correct answer to both of those examples is NO and NO.

Pretty hilarious, the footage I've seen of their lathi or pellet gun training.. don't think it's any kind of deterrent to any serious minded jihadist or jungle commie guerilla fighter.

right-wing "news" website..

didn't the title give it away immediately ?

Found his classifications interesting. Think I'm mostly indifferent (don't have a problem with beef etc, couldn't remember last temple visit even if paid money to lol)

Supportive sometimes when it makes logical sense to me to be so. Such as with the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Assertive.. only for trolling purposes, or when counterattacking the hostile or condescending group.

Don't see them as any kind of threat to either India as a whole or to any particular group that resides within India.

The author should try to explain the "benefits" of Brahmanvaad to the ghost of Dalit student Rohith Vemula who committed suicide in 2016 in a hostel room in Hyderabad University because he was being oppressed by Upper Caste university officials. He was a member of the Ambedkar Students' Association.

Unfortunate as that case might have been.

What gives you carte blanche to have a go at an entire community ? Is that not the exact same thing is labeling all muslims as terrorists ? Do we have any stats of 'dalits' who have done and continue to do really well for themselves ? Do you think no dalit has done well for himself, or that all of them are oppressed ?

 

[baajey]

website OpIndia. Enough said.

Enough said.

 

[-=virus=-]

Enough said.

what if it happened to be a Rana Ayub article on scroll.in and the NyT ? Do you discredit everything you do not happen to agree with ? Do they hurt your feels ?

 

[Buddhistforlife]

View attachment 759605


(The following is an extract from the book ‘Sanghi Who Never Went To A Shakha’, and is being republished here in wake of some social media debate happening over RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwant’s statement about Hindu-Muslim unity and common ancestry)


Since I have self-identified myself as a ‘Sanghi’ and even titled this book as such, I thought I should specifically clarify that I hold no brief for the RSS, and my views or commentary in this book may or may not match with the worldview of an average RSS swayamsevak (volunteer) or ideologue.

Even though I had put this disclaimer in the beginning of the book itself, let me expound it a little more and also share my views on the RSS.

First of all, I am yet (till the point of finishing this book in August 2020) to attend any shakha even though I’ve been vocal about my ideological beliefs for a few years now. I still have no idea about the daily or even weekly activities an RSS member undertakes inside or outside a shakha.

Yes, I’ve been to a couple of gatherings of RSS members and sympathizers to understand the RSS and their beliefs, and to be honest, I can’t say that I agree with all of them. And surely, even the RSS doesn’t expect everyone to agree with them on everything.

From my limited interactions, I have come to the conclusion that the RSS is not ‘Sanghi’ enough! Obviously, I am using the term ‘Sanghi’ as understood or imagined by people in the popular narrative—both by those who like the term as well as those who hate it.

The aggression and belligerence that one may imagine or desire in a Sanghi were hardly there in any senior RSS member whom I met. Most of them preferred an unhurried and persuasive approach towards problem-solving.

I could be wrong in my assessment, but I don’t think the RSS believes in bringing ‘radical’ changes, either in the society or polity. They want things to change at their own pace, without disturbing too many things or people.

If someone brands the RSS as a group of Hindu ‘radicals’, that will be as inaccurate as it can get. Unfortunately, that’s how the RSS is often branded. I actually know a couple of former RSS members who left the organization in frustration, as they found the RSS to be just ‘too soft’ and slow to their liking.

It’s true that there are organizations like the VHP or the Bajrang Dal—they have members who could also be RSS members, but they are not technically ‘RSS-affiliated’ organizations—which are aggressive in comparison, but the RSS in itself talks about ‘vyakti nirmaan’ (development of an individual’s character) and ‘samajik samrasta’ (social harmony, which includes all Indians). It doesn’t really talk exclusively about the Hindu society as such.

And this is where the Sangh often comes under attack by those Sanghis who have never been to any shakha. Not that I agree with all such criticism, but one of the most common criticisms of the Sangh, especially of its leadership, is that it has got its priorities all wrong, and can’t see the existentialist threats the Hindu society faces. When an RSS member is killed in Kerala or Bengal, such Sanghis get angry and start attacking the leadership for not doing enough to protect their own.

The statements and thoughts that tend to include everyone born in India, regardless of his religion, as a Hindu—and such statements have come from no less than the RSS chief himself on occasion—are cited as proof of ideological confusion within the RSS, which makes it blind to the existentialist threats.

For example, during his 2019 Dussehra address, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said, ‘Those who belong to Bharat, those who are descendants of Bharatiya ancestors, those who are working for the ultimate glory of [the] nation & joining hands in enhancing peace, respecting and welcoming all diversities; all those Bharatiyas are Hindus.’

Ironically, such statements should have impressed me in my pre-2012 days, but then I thought that being branded a Sanghi is similar to ‘character assassination’. I am a pragmatist and not an idealist, so I don’t really know what purpose it serves by having such an inclusive and conciliatory approach when no one is really willing to trust or embrace you.

Under no stretch of the imagination could everyone born or living in India be seen as a Hindu, even culturally. I personally would categorize Indians in five broad different categories, based on their approach towards Hindutva, that is, Hinduness. These are:

Hostile : Those who are hostile towards it and openly talk about annihilating Hindutva or Hinduism—they are honest enough to not create a fake distinction between the two terms—such as the Periyarites, neo-Ambedkarites, Islamists or Evangelists. They simply want to eradicate this identity. They see Hinduism either as oppressive or a fundamentally inferior idea, and thus worthy of being eliminated.

Condescending : Those who are prejudiced against Hindutva or Hinduism, but are willing to ‘tolerate’ this identity for various reasons. Most of the so-called liberals fall in this category, who would tolerate Hinduism only when it’s deracinated to their heart’s content. For instance, when all Hindu festivals are either heavily regulated or secularized, such as Onam—which is ‘a festival of harvest and has nothing to do with Hinduism’.

Indifferent : Those who are indifferent towards Hindutva or Hinduism, primarily because they are not aware of the challenges or they are just too busy or motivated by mundane things in life—mostly, the ‘Congressi Hindus’, whom I have mentioned earlier in the book. Their thinking is influenced more by the above two groups than the below two groups. Many non-Hindus can also fall into this category.

Supportive : Those who are conscious of their Hindu identity and also support the Hindu causes. They may or may not be vocal, but they are definitely not indifferent. Many self-identifying Sanghis—not the actual Sanghis—fall in this or the next category. Statements such as those by the RSS chief that I pointed to earlier suggest many non-Hindus fall in this category too, which I hope is true, but I’m not really sure.

Assertive : Those who are not only conscious of the identity, but are willing to take that extra step, including some risks, to celebrate, propagate and defend this identity. However, it’s not a homogenous group. How they defend it, and what exactly they aim to propagate and defend may vary from one sub-group to another.

In my opinion, the RSS should provide clarity and leadership to the last two groups (Supportive and Assertive) and try to convert the middle group (Indifferent). One may have a conversation with the second group (Condescending), but on its own terms (i.e., on the Assertive group’s terms), and defeat the first one (Hostile) without any attempt at reconciliation.

I personally am almost paranoid about the future of Hindus. I think that the Hostile and Condescending groups together account for at least 30% of the Indian population; this can turn into a tipping point quite soon. Furthermore, as I have mentioned at one place in this book, I see eerie similarities between what’s happening now and what had happened in the few decades leading to the Partition of India. I see history repeating itself unless Hindus wake up.

Further, Hinduphobia has been normalized and intellectualized to frightening levels, where a Hindu talking about any injustice against him is branded a bigot. Anything that celebrates or propagates Hinduism will increasingly be argued as being detrimental to creating ‘safe spaces’. This has already started happening both in India and abroad, aided with the rhetoric around ‘Brahminism’.

I feel that Hindus are nicely being fed and fattened for the ceremonial slaughter—that’s how paranoid I am right now. Any attempt to wake them up and show them the civilizational dangers is ironically termed as ‘attempts to distract from the real issues’.

My paranoia may or may not be justified, but owing to that, I feel that Hindus need community leadership that can lucidly and logically explain the threats the community faces. It should be done quickly, before more people turn paranoid like me. I am not really happy being this way!

And I feel that the RSS is best placed to provide such leadership to the community, owing to its size and legacy. But, the organization itself wants to continue being a ‘nationalist’ outfit, focused on character building, rather than a Hindu outfit focused on community-building. That’s where I am not too happy.

Actually what I’m suggesting is not at all different from what Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of RSS, had said. The following quote of Dr Hedgewar is mentioned as the vision and mission of the RSS on their own website:



Then, has the RSS lost its way or self-declared Sanghis like me can’t see how the organization is still on track and following their founder’s vision? I need answers there.

(The book ‘Sanghi Who Never Went To A Shakha’, authored by Rahul Roushan, was published by Rupa Publications and released on 10 March 2021. The link to buy the book is here.)

A note on the RSS by a Sanghi who never went to a Shakha

Does the Sangh not see even the existentialist threats the Hindu society faces? | OpIndia News

www.opindia.com

RSS is not a terrorist or extremist group. They are peaceful people. Those who say that RSS is an extremist group have no real idea about RSS.

RSS was made in 1925 as a humanitarian group and NGO. During 1947 they were responsible for providing shelter and humanitarian support to millions of refugees from Pakistan.

RSS also made immense contribution to India. They are feeding the poor, providing free education and providing self defence training to women and children.

RSS sankha or schools teach a Hindu child to be a true and honest human being. RSS schools are the best religious schools in India.

 

[Saudang]

RSS is a virus, lets accept that. India will be much better off without these morons

 

[hussain0216]

Utter hindutva extremist communal shithole

 

[-=virus=-]

RSS is a virus, lets accept that. India will be much better off without these morons

One could make the case for them being antibodies too.

 

[Saudang]

One could make the case for them being antibodies too.

Then who are the issue against whom RSS can be an antibody?

 

[-=virus=-]

Then who are the issue against whom RSS can be an antibody?

the anti nationals, of course.

Truly we are blessed, for they come in all hues.. the anti national children of Bharat Mata.

 

[White and Green with M/S]

the anti nationals, of course.

Truly we are blessed, for they come in all hues.. the anti national children of Bharat Mata.

how they (RSS/BJP) to pay you to divert their terrorist extremism thoughts and ideologies??

RSS is not a terrorist or extremist group. They are peaceful people. Those who say that RSS is an extremist group have no real idea about RSS.

RSS was made in 1925 as a humanitarian group and NGO. During 1947 they were responsible for providing shelter and humanitarian support to millions of refugees from Pakistan.

RSS also made immense contribution to India. They are feeding the poor, providing free education and providing self defence training to women and children.

RSS sankha or schools teach a Hindu child to be a true and honest human being. RSS schools are the best religious schools in India.

LOL can i show you the real face of RSS and how they honest human being in the world lol, don't live in your delusional, RSS is the extremist terrorist organization, which harass, oppress/suppress minorities especially Muslims in India

 

[jamahir]

Unfortunate as that case might have been.

What gives you carte blanche to have a go at an entire community ? Is that not the exact same thing is labeling all muslims as terrorists ?

There are Brahmins who are decent people, I am not automatically against these particular ones as humans, they having rejected the anti-human nature of the ideology that Brahmanvaad represents. Surely you will also agree with this.

Do we have any stats of 'dalits' who have done and continue to do really well for themselves ? Do you think no dalit has done well for himself, or that all of them are oppressed ?

Do you really think that the 'Creamy layer' exists as a rule rather than an exception ?

A lot of parents around the world enroll their kids in martial arts classes, does that mean that they are hoping for their children to go around punching/kicking/beating up people ?

These parents send their kids there for self-defense whereas the RSS trains for the eventuality of actively initiating / participating in riots. A difference.

Here's a second one, a lot of people volunteer to serve in the forces.. does that mean they all suffer from a bloodlust that wants to go around killing/bombing people from other countries ?

Quite a few people enlist in the forces for "adventure" and glory which is not too distant from bloodlust. For example, look at NATO militaries, going around the world invading and engaging in war crimes.

Pretty hilarious, the footage I've seen of their lathi or pellet gun training.. don't think it's any kind of deterrent to any serious minded jihadist or jungle commie guerilla fighter.

The pellet guns are temporary substitutes for the real thing.

Supportive sometimes when it makes logical sense to me to be so. Such as with the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

What about the under-construction PM house ?

Don't see them as any kind of threat to either India as a whole

Come on, they are very visible termites.

 

[-=virus=-]

There are Brahmins who are decent people, I am not automatically against these particular ones as humans, they having rejected the anti-human nature of the ideology that Brahmanvaad represents. Surely you will also agree with this.

I'm one lol but pretty clueless about the whole 'brahmanvaad' thing. What is it exactly ?

Seems mostly like a lame excuse for leftists to hide behind while they have a go at all dharmic people.

Do you really think that the 'Creamy layer' exists as a rule rather than an exception ?

ALL creamy layer in India is an exception, not the rule, this includes bhahmans and everyone else.

These parents send their kids there for self-defense whereas the RSS trains for the eventuality of actively initiating / participating in riots. A difference.

Nonsense, that stick fighting isn't even a proper martial art, the way they go about it. A well trained in martial arts kid from school could take a bunch of them out without a weapon. Those uncles with lathis are not a militant force in any sense of the word

Quite a few people enlist in the forces for "adventure" and glory which is not too distant from bloodlust. For example, look at NATO militaries, going around the world invading and engaging in war crimes.

People join for a variety of reasons, in the US, many join so they can later afford college (known some), it's a proud family tradition for some, others do it for all sorts of personal reasons but bloodlust is not one. Those psychos join street gangs and jihadist organizations.

The pellet guns are temporary substitutes for the real thing.

LOL, no they're not.

What about the under-construction PM house ?

What about it ? Why are you leftists framing it as if it's some personal extravagance Modi is spending on ?

Come on, they are very visible termites.

No, they are a pretty harmless nationalist organization.

We have jamaati types and the Vatican's conversion obsessed vultures operating. It's a good thing we have RSS