Is the RSS Trying to Hijack the People’s Movement?

by FR. ANAND MUTTUNGAL

Even though of late controversies are rising about the role of the RSS in various agitations the public uprising against corruption and related issues are being seen as the beginning of social transformation. People of all classes have condemned the police crackdown on those who assembled to participate on the anti-corruption fast by Baba Ramdev on Saturday-Sunday night, June 4-5, 2011. The agitation is said to be reminding people of the great people’s move-ments led by Jayaprakash Narayan and V.P. Singh. The movement, recently initiated by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, seems to be getting weakened as doubts begin to creep into the minds of people whether the Sangh Parivar is trying to use these persons to strengthen its eroding public support as in the past. We need to critically examine the historic facts.

Jayaprakash Narayan, the first of independent India’s all-time people’s leader, was the worst critic of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh till 1966 when a severe famine stalked Bihar. He was in-charge of the entire relief operations. He refused to include the RSS into the relief work. After requests from many quarters he allowed them. While checking the accounts of the associated organisations, he noticed that the RSS workers collected the most, spent the least on collection and distributed the collections the best. He was very much impressed and his relations grew. The RSS is said to have gained more by their extension of support to his agitation against the Indira Gandhi Government. The critics consolidate their claim by quoting his address to the huge RSS training camp on November 3, 1977 in which he called the RSS a nationalist organisation.

The second person to lead the people’s movement was V.P. Singh, a well-known socialist who stood for secular values and the hereditary ruler of one of India’s many feudal fiefdoms of UP. When the long-term Gandhi Family loyalist declared his war against the Rajiv Gandhi Government, the poor and socio-economically backwards chanted: “He is not a king but a saint, the destiny of the nation.” This slogan was heard in 1988-89 across the country, and wherever he went he created a storm by forcefully highlighting corruption at the highest levels of governance. He aligned with all non-Congress organisations, including the communal forces, in the fight against the Congress. His efforts did not bear the desired result and his charismatic leadership could not last because the Sangh Parivar used this opportunity to strengthen its base in the country. And in no time he slipped into the pages history.

India faced a new public movement from April 5, 2011 when the Gandhian social activist, Anna Hazare, along with most admired personalities like Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh, Arvind Kejriwal and representatives of many faith-based organisations, started his indefinite hunger strike demanding the enactment of a comprehensive Jan Lokpal Bill against corruption. Spontaneous mass support to the clarion call of the man who lives with four hundred rupees a month grew day-by-day. The Union Government realised that the charisma of Anna Hazare had mesmerised the whole country; so they came down to settle on the terms suggested by the civil society. Baba Ramdev, who verbally declared support, was very quick to protest against the members of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee. It gave him a voice to present himself as another messiah of social transformation and fight against corruption.

As we analyse the unfolding events, it is very evident that well organised NGO machineries tried to crystallise the spontaneous upsurge of the people in support of the anti-corruption movement led by Hazare. The RSS backed up the fast by Hazare to indirectly convert the mass support of the ‘Second Gandhi’ to their organisation like they did with Jayaprakash Narayan and V.P. Singh. Hazare refused to accept support of the political organisations but accepted the support by the RSS. The RSS spokesperson, Ram Madhav, during his fast handed over the letter of support to Hazare. He shared the dais saying: “We have passed a resolution. Our friends and supporters across the country have been asked to actively join Anna’s movement. Corruption is an evil that concerns every citizen of India. Therefore, the RSS lends its support.” But Hazare did not openly express any positive feelers for the RSS.

It may be true to say that one of the major considerations of the government to somehow reach a consensus with Anna Hazare was the possibility of a takeover of his movement by a resolute Opposition and the most effective “cultural” organisation doing politics in the country, the RSS. So the RSS used the clout of the yoga-guru to get the issue transferred to the Sangh Parivar. If we delve deep into the develop-ments, the ideology of Anna Hazare is slowly vanishing into the thin air of the Sangh Parivar. If Anna Hazare and his team do not realise this, then the great uprising of the people will become part of the history of yesterday.

(Courtesy: www.franand.com)