RSS 360° - Demystifying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

315 Pages·2018·2.038 MB·English

by  Ratan Sharda

RSS
360°
Demystifying
Rashtriya
Swayamsevak
Sangh
RSS
360°
Demystifying
Rashtriya

Swayamsevak
Sangh
Ratan
Sharda
BLOOMSBURY
INDIA
Bloomsbury
Publishing
India
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2018
This
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2018
Copyright
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Ratan
Sharda,
2018
Illustrations
©
Ratan
Sharda,
2018
Ratan
Sharda
has
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right
under
the
Indian
Copyright
Act
to
be


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Author
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ISBN:
TPB:
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eBook:
978­9­3869­5040­6
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In
Praise
of
the
Book
One
 of
 the
 best
 features
 of
 Sharda’s
 book
 is
 the
 dozens
 of
 stories
 of
individual
 swayamsevaks’
 simplicity,
 discipline
 and
 devotion
 to
 the
national
 cause.
 It
 is
 such
 tales
 of
 daily
 valour
 and
 sacrifice
 that
 I
 most
enjoyed
in
the
book.
For
whatever
else
it
might
be,
the
RSS
is
steadfast
in
its
commitment
to
the
Indian
nation,
to
what
Sri
Aurobindo
called
“Bharat
Shakti”
in
Foundations
of
Indian
Culture.
Neither
an
academic
study
such
as
 Pralay
 Kanungo’s
 RSS’s
 Tryst
 with
 Politics:
 From
 Hedgewar
 to
Sudarshan
(2002)
nor
a
learned
“hatchet
job”
such
as
Christophe
Jaffrelot’s
The
Hindu
Nationalist
Movement
and
Indian
Politics
(1996),
it
is
not
even
like
Sanjeev
Kelkar’s
critique
from
within,
RSS:
The
Lost
Years
(2012).
Instead,
Sharda’s
account
is
unpretentious,
even
anecdotal,
which
is
what
adds
to
its
readability
and
authenticity.
Makarand
R
Paranjpe
(Indian
poet
and
a
professor
at
the


Jawaharlal
Nehru
University,
India)
Despite
having
known
RSS
for
many
years
now,
I
still
feel
that
I
don’t
know
many
of
the
social
services
work
that
RSS
does.
Your
book
is
like
a
manual
 for
 anyone
 and
 everyone
 who
 is
 interested
 to
 know
 about
 the
Sangh,
and
much
more.
At
a
time
like
this
when
the
curiosity
of
youth
towards
RSS
has
increased
many
folds,
it
is
critically
important
to
have
a
book
that
serves
like
mini­encyclopedia
of
the
Sangh,
and
you
have
done
a
good
job
in
giving
a
neutral
point
of
view.
Dr.
Subhash
Chandra
(M.P.,
Head
of
Essel
Group)
The
simplicity
of
the
RSS
has
yet
to
be
revealed
to
the
curious
reader;
this
values
 based
 organisation
 finally
 finds
 expression
 in
 this
 360
 degree
perspective
by
an
author
who
is
probably
one
of
the
best
commentators
on
the
92
year
old
sangh.”
Advaita
Kala
(Writer)
‘Shri
 Ratan
 Sharda’s
 book
 is
 an
 important
 study
 on
 RSS,
 because
 it
 is
written
with
rigor,
balance
and
clarity.
For
readers
like
me
who
are
not
in
the
RSS,
it
provides
details
that
many
people
do
not
know.
A
real
eye­
opener
that
I
very
much
benefited
from’.
Rajiv
Malhotra
(Dharma
scholar,
Founder
Infinity
Foundation,


Writer,
Public
intellectual)
‘Generally,
there
is
a
set
format
while
writing
about
any
organisation.
Such
a
book
follows
a
pattern,
like
when
was
the
organisation
founded,
who
was
the
founder,
what
is
its
philosophy,
highs
and
lows
of
its
working,
success
or
failure
of
the
organisation
to
achieve
its
objective
etc.
Ratan
Sharda
has
not
followed
this
beaten
path.
One
has
to
be
careful
not
to
seek
permission
of
the
organisation
about
which
one
wishes
to
write.
Such
a
writing
then
becomes
propagandist.
Ratan
Sharda’s
book
has
successfully
avoided
this
trap.
Instead
of
depending
on
lectures
of
RSS
Chiefs
or
writings
of
well­
known
intellectuals
of
RSS,
he
has
tried
to
present
Sangh’s
philosophy
in
a
different
 manner.
 He
 has
 quoted
 Western
 intellectuals
 of
 Indology
extensively.
 He
 talks
 of
 need
 for
 organisation
 for
 Hindus
 with
 different
global
reference
points
that
give
his
arguments
more
weight’.
Ramesh
Patange
(Writer,
Thinker,
Social
activist,
ex­editor
Vivek
weekly)
‘Balasaheb
(Thackarey)
used
to
feel
that
they
should
also
have
a
dedicated
cadre
like
Sangh.
He
too
established
‘shakhas’
of
Shiv
Sena


for
this
purpose.
You
can
create
shakhas,
but
you
cannot
create
intellectual
programmes
for
them.
The
strength
of
Sangh
lay
in
its
intellectual
training,
it
lay
in
training
of
its
cadre
in
human
relations
and
management.
Like
Sena,
socialists
too
couldn’t
grasp
this.
They
also
had
shakhas
but
they
just
disappeared
and
the
volunteers
they
had
were
left
totally
confused.
If
one
wishes
to
understand
what
is
taught
in
these
intellectual
training
workshops,
one
must
read
this
book’.
Vinay
Amle
(Critic,
Loksatta
Leading
Marathi
Newspaper)
Peculiarity
of
the
book
lies
in
the
fact
that
the
analytical
mind
of
the
author
first
highlights
the
views
of
the
critics
of
RSS
and
then
in
the
immediately
following
paragraphs
presents
the
RSS
point
of
views.
The
contrast
thus
highlighted
leaves
deep
impression
on
the
reader
of
the
book.
I
am
tempted
to
quote
below,
some
of
the
most
memorable
statements
I
came
across
in
first
edition
‘Secrets
of
RSS’
­
I.
India
can
be
secular
as
per
Indian
ethos
but
not
irreligious
or
non-
spiritual.
(Page
48)
II.
According
 supremacy
 of
 organization
 and
 the
 mission
 conquering
personal
 ego
 for
 higher
 objective,
 promoting
 talent
 irrespective
 of
personal
likes
and
dislikes
has
led
to
a
robust
organization
and
a
team
of
workers
difficult
to
find
in
any
other
social
organization.
(Page
125)
III.
Deendayal
 Upadhyay
 proposed
 that
 every
 nation
 must
 have
 an
economic
and
political
system
which
is
close
to
its
‘chiti’
(inherent
intellectual
state
 or
nature)
only
 then
 will
that
model
succeed.
 You
cannot
impose
a
system
which
is
alien
to
its
‘chiti’.
We
can
understand
now,
 why
 the
 half-baked
 socialist
 system
 failed
 in
 India
 and
 why
Communism
 has
 not
 been
 able
 to
 grow
 beyond
 2-3
 states.
 It
 also
explains
why
unbridled
Capitalism
will
not
succeed
in
India.
(Page
164)
Dr.
Ashok
Modak
(International
affairs
specialist,
National
Research
Scholar)
There
are
three
reasons
why
RSS
evokes
strong
reactions.
First,
we
are
a
power­centered
 society
 addicted
 to
 mai­bap
 culture.
 Despite
 democratic
trappings,
the
bulk
of
the
people
tend
to
accept
government
as
the
only
legitimate
organization,
and
have
a
vague
notion
that
all
other
associations
are
 mere
 subsidiary
 organizations
 dependent
 on
 government
 support
 or
patronage.
Despite
 the
 freedom
of
associations
 guaranteed
under
Article
19(1)(c),
the
colonial
notion
that
civil
associations
exist
at
government’s
behest
continues
to
dominate
our
psyche
in
democratic
India.
RSS
being
self­reliant,
large,
and
influential
makes
it
suspect
in
the
eyes
of
those
who
believe
in
state
control.
Second,
entrenched
political
parties
do
not
want
a
potentially
rival
power­centre,
or
strong
civil
association
that
can
challenge
their
political
supremacy
or
defy
their
will.
Equally
significantly,
other
civil
associations
exhibit
envy
at
the
phenomenal
spread,
growth
and
influence
of
one
organization.
Third,
many
citizens
have
genuine
fears
and
concerns
that
the
RSS
approach
to
nation­building
does
not
adequately
recognize
the
contributions
 of
 many
 streams
 of
 thought,
 cultures,
 ethnic
 groups
 and
civilizations
to
what
now
constitutes
the
wonder
that
is
India.
Detractors
of
RSS
motivated
by
the
first
two
reasons
can,
and
should
be
dismissed
as
irrelevant.
But
the
third
group
of
critics
cannot
be
ignored,
and
should
be
creatively
engaged
by
RSS,
if
its
quest
for
nation­building
is
to
bear
fruit.
This
book
by
Shri
Ratan
Sharda
is
an
earnest
attempt
of
an
insider
to
demystify
the
Sangh,
and
engage
the
outsiders.
Dr
Jayaprakash
Narayan
(Founder
of
Loksatta
Andolan,
Foundation
of
Democratic
Reforms,
ex­
Member
of
NAC
of
Prime
Minister,
Second
Administrative
Reforms
Commission
and
Vigilance
Advisory
Committee
of
CVC)
‘Reading
‘RSS
360°’
turned
me
sentimental
as
I
remembered
my
father
who
was
in
Jammu
&
Kashmir
during
1948
army
operations
as
a
soldier.
He
had
told
 me
 about
 sacrifice
 and
 dedication
 of
 young
 RSS
 volunteers
 during
1948
attack
in
helping
the
army
stop
enemy
advancing
near
Shrinagar.
In
fact,
when
his
company
was
encircled
by
the
tribal
army,
RSS
volunteers
acted
as
the
only
line
providing
food
and
communication
links
at
great
risk
to
their
own
lives.
In
fact,
scores
of
RSS
volunteers
perished
in
defense
of
India.
I
attribute
my
own
rise
in
life
from
a
very
humble
back
ground
to
reach
the
top
of
the
corporate
ladder
and
my
subsequent
renunciation
of
material
comfort
for
grassroots
level
activism
through
Loksatta
also
to
the
RSS,
being
an
RSS
karyakarta
in
my
formative
years.
Surendra
Shrivastava
(Ex­
President
Great
Eastern
Shipping
Company,


Senior
leader
of
Loksatta
Andolan)
After
completing
the
reading
I
felt
that
fundamental
appreciation
as
to
why
the
RSS
has
expanded
in
various
spheres
of
social
activity
should
have
been
included.
Till
1947
the
goal
of
the
RSS
was
to
achieve
independence
of
our
country.
I
had
taken
my
pledge
in
1941,
in
which
the
meaning
of
the
words
in
the
pledge
was
"I
had
become
a
constituent
of
the
Sangh
to
make
Hindu
Rashtra
independent."
This
was
changed
after
1950.
From
1950
onwards
for
few
years
there
was
commotion
in
the
RSS
as
to
what
form
the
RSS
should
take.
Many
senior
workers
and
office­bearers
felt
that
it
was
of
no
use
to
do
'Daksha­Aram',
i.e.
daily
Shakha.
Some
of
them
wanted
RSS
to
transform
itself
into
a
political
party.
Others
thought
that
the
RSS
should
engage
itself
in
social
service
projects.
Shri
Guruji
was
not
opposed
to
these
ventures.
But
he
was
firm
that
the
Shakha
is
the
most
important
activity,
and
that
it
cannot
be
given
a
secondary
status.
This
was
explained,
in
a
week­long
 congregation
 of
 all
 Zilla­Pracaraks
 in
 1954
 in
 Sindi
 near
Wardha.
This
was
repeated
in
1960
at
Indore
before
a
larger
gathering.
This
was
again
repeated
in
Thane
in
1972.
M
G
Vaidya
(First
RSS
spokesperson,
Senior
ideologue,


worked
with
all
the
RSS
Chiefs
since
1941)