Opinion: The RSS outreach - an exercise in earnest or simple political legwork? 

There is no doubt that the three-day RSS lecture series was a unique outreach exercise carried out by an organisation that is very difficult to peer into from outside. This was not just an assembly of the believers, the naysayers also got a fair share of the invites, and questions. The fact that the RSS was able to invite those who are ideologically opposed to the organisation in public shows that the RSS today cannot be ignored as a lesser organisation. The RSS also cannot be pushed to the discussion sidelines because it (often) indulges in pseudo-scientific and academic speak.

The RSS project, for good or bad, better or worse, has been able to mainstream its politics post-2014. It is for this reason that a meeting like this 10 to 15 years ago would have been ignored by the intellectual community, but which was this time forced to sit and listen to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

It was forced to listen because there is a chance the BJP might come back to power again.

The outreach exercise stated the evident barring couple of departures. The position of RSS on Article 35-A and 370 remains the same. RSS stands opposed to them. The continue to be uneasy with the idea of homosexuality. The departure was in the selective dropping of some of the writing of Golwalkar and insistence that Muslims are an integral part of nation building. The outfit also distanced itself from the BJPslogan of "Congress-mukt Bharat".

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the purpose of the meeting was to have an informed debate on the RSS and its work in the country and outside.

As a preface, it is important to understand the rise of Kamandal politics over heydays of Mandal. The politics of social justice of last 40 years stands discredited.

The OBCs today are empowered both politically and financially. In fact, ‘Sanskritization’ of the intermediate caste is complete. Instead of representing the cause of castes mentioned in the Scheduled List they have become the new masters leaving Dalits and Tribals from the fold.

The Sanskritization has allowed OBC vote to split between BJP and regional parties (It earlier belonged to non-Congress socialist block) and reservation as an issue of justice has become limited to caste and lost its high moral ground. It is evident from Jat, Patidar and Maratha agitations as they fail to evoke sympathy from fellow brethren. Secondly, the middle class has expanded its say in politics which was a marginal player 20 years back.

Lastly, there is an absence of a pan India caste axis which existed during Indira Gandhi’s tenure where Dalits, Muslims, Tribals and Brahmins voted for the Congress.

RSS seminar in the context is an acknowledgment of a resurgent reality. It also showed that RSS too requires to recalibrate its social, cultural and political position. RSS too needs to come of age. It needs to rise away from the glorification of ancient Indian history at the cost of medieval India. The conception that all ethnicities which migrated to India looted India is intrinsically wrong. The fact that Indian nationalism is a construct which flowed from the freedom struggle also needs to be accepted. RSS will need to convince people in its practiced politics that minorities are accepted as equal and do not live at the sufferance of the majority.

The consolidated Hindu vote is good when it kills the caste but it is not good when it makes minority voice or dissent useless. The consolidated Hindu vote cannot turn into minority veto as it would defeat the purpose of consolidation over caste. The theory propounded will require to be accepted at the shakha level and bias against minorities will need to be dropped. RSS will have to accept that India after independence has charted a different course and makes it different from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Will Bhagwat’s new sermon stop BJP from polarising the election is another million dollar question? It is then the outreach will have a substantial impact. It will have to practice what it has preached.

Till then outreach will be an exercise in vain. It will only be remembered as PR exercise before Lok Sabha elections.

On the other hand, the Opposition will need to understand that RSS is a project apart from its support for a political party. It has both electoral and non-electoral character. I would insist for electoral because how much RSS may deny, its cadre do get mobilised during the elections. RSS is not an electoral machine. It is a huge apparatus working at various levels of the society openly. It has created a brotherhood of ideas. It may not be at the cutting edge of intellectual ferment but it has been able to absorb middle-level intellectual inquiry. RSS’s work with Tribals and Dalits far surpasses that of other political parties. It ideological position on nationalism also makes up for its lack of a role in the freedom struggle. The Opposition should not wish away RSS. It is here to stay.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)