- Before it is too late
In countries with constitutional democracy quasi-military organizations like RSS should not exist. In the West most white supremacist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) are banned. In Pakistan too all such organizations have been shut down ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ (RSS) which translates to ‘National Patriotic Organization’ was founded in 1925 at Nagpur by K.B. Hedgewar. It is a right wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer organization which is regarded as the parent body of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani, both active members of RSS, formed BJP as a political party on April 6, 1980. As Prime Minister (PM) Vajpayee distanced himself from the RSS while Advani kept his links, he played a leading role in the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. Indian National Congress (INC) the founding party of India banned its members from joining RSS in 1934 as it was considered a fascist organization that preached Hindu Nationalism or “Hinduvata”. RSS was banned once during British rule and thrice by the Indian government. In 1948 Mohandas Gandhi, who was given the title of ‘Mohatma’, by Nathuram Godse who was a former member of RSS was assassinated. His speech before his execution was also censored. During Indira Gandhi’s emergency (1975 – 1977) and then after the Babri Masjid debacle in 1992 this extremist outfit was considered a threat to the secular democracy of India. The ban was subsequently lifted in 1993 when no evidence of any unlawful activity was found by the tribunal under the ‘Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act the ban was removed which was a typical outcome of such crimes.
With his RSS leanings, Modi is pushing India into the realm of mismanagement making it ungovernable.
After the First World War (1914 – 1918) there was a lot of anger and frustration in Europe and its empires Worldwide. In 1920 the Nazi Party was formed in Germany, which was later joined by Adolf Hitler in 1921. It was a quasi-military outfit that promoted physical fitness of the members. Over the years the party gained popularity and finally in 1933 it came into power. Rest is history as they say, in 1945 Hitler, his party and Germany all perished while Europe was in Shambles due to the Second World War (1941 – 1945).
In the Indo-Pak Sub-Continent, during this period the oppressed and colonized people saw an opportunity to win freedom. In 1925 it was RSS and in 1931 it was the Khaksar Movement led by the brilliant scholar and Mathematician, Allama Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi. Like RSS it too was a quasi-military outfit whose aim was to win freedom from the British Rule. While RSS was Hindu centric the ‘Khaksars’ had open membership to lıberate the land, it opposed the division of the Indian Subcontinent. With the partition of India in sight Allama Mashriqi ın hıs wısdom decided to disband his movement in July 1947. However, his followers decided to revive it after his death in 1963 but the revival was short lived.
RSS is the only surviving heir of Hitler’s Nazism. It is perhaps the longest surviving fascist organization of all times that has spilled over into the 21st century. Nazis destroyed Germany, while the ‘Khaksars’ failed to keep India united, RSS if allowed to continue poses a serious threat to the peace of the entire region together with fragmentation of India. Constitutional democracies are threatened by such quasi-military fundamentalist organizations like RSS. There should be an international call for disbandment of such outfits.
A lot has been published about the Indian democracy which is the largest in the world. Meghnad Desai an Indian scholar believes that democracy is a binding glue that keeps India together. In his recent book titled “The Raisina Model: Indian Democracy at 70” he has discussed the importance of the democratic order for an old civilization with diverse cultures and religions. He states, “Tensions between democracy – based on universal adult franchise and hierarchical social structure in the majority community has to be managed”. With his RSS leanings, Modi is pushing India into the realm of mismanagement making it ungovernable. The secular stance of INC is under serious threat. Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to enter the Kashmir valley.
Today in India the statues of ‘Mahatma’ and ‘Bapuji’ are being desecrated by RSS goons. RSS was banned in 1992 for destroying the Babri Mosque. The Liberhan Commission report in 2009 clearly held RSS responsible for this organized fascist onslaught. During the emergency period (1945 – 1977), Indira Gandhi banned RSS as it was percieved as a threat to the Indian democracy. The current government is openly blaming Nehru the founding PM of India for the special status of Kashmir. The Sikhs are also calling for a separate state and realize their mistake in staying within the India union under the lure of secularısm.
Mixing politics with religion poses serious challenges. Syed Abul Ala Moududi was aware of this threat and never allowed his own children to even come near to the Jamaat-e-Islami that he founded or even its students wing Islami Jamiat-e-Tulaba (IJT). There was a time that most university campuses were controlled by IJT, gradually this influence is coming to an end. While Pakistan is moving towards enlightenment and moderation, India is moving towards Hindu fundamentalism, a clash of civilizations is brewing, led and supported by RSS whose active members have now succeeded in controlling the state apparatus. If not banned by the 20th year of the 21stcentury, RSS will be 95 years old. India won its freedom 72 years ago, since then it has been a constitutional democracy. Fascist organizations like RSS have outlived their utility, it can only take India backwards to its ruination not forward as ‘shining India’ envisioned by Vajpayee who despite being a member of RSS kept it away from the corridors of power during his tenure. RSS should be disbanded without delay to save the region from inhalation. Truces of Nazism have to be removed of which RSS is a major and potent residue that can blow up the entıre world wıth ıts nuclear armory taking it back into the dark ages. The cry to save humanıty ıs to: Ban RSS.
