What Mohan Bhagwat said — and what he seeks to conceal

The speech delivered by Rashtriya SwayamsevakSangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, on Vijayadashami day has, as usual, garnered significant coverage by the national media. What used to be a routine address delivered by the organisation's chief on its foundation day, this time held added significance, as it coincided with the centennial celebrations of the RSS. Furthermore, against the backdrop of opposition and youth protests against the Union Government and the Election Commission rocking the country, the issues he touched upon have drawn widespread discussion. Much of his address emphasised that the true strength of India as a nation resides in its cultural identity and social harmony. Prominent figures in the BJP leadership — including Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah — lavished praise on the speech, a narrative fervently celebrated by pro-government news channels.

Certain basic concepts advanced by the Sarsanghchalak — including the doctrine that India's cultural heritage is Hindu Dharma — do leave ample room for disagreement. That remaining so, the actual deeds adopted by his organisation and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar directly contradict Bhagwat's fine words and assertions, making them impossible to accept at face value. Neither Muslims, Christians, nor other religious communities in the country would have any quarrel with the idea of uplifting the Hindu community within its own religious and cultural fold. The problem, however, lies in the "one culture, one India" paradigm they proclaim and the implied attitude toward other faiths. In the India envisioned by them — founded exclusively on Hindu culture and tradition — other religious groups do not deserve a space with equal rights. Naturally, this underlying reality does not find a mention in formal declarations like Mohan Bhagwat's Vijayadashami speech. Its practical manifestation becomes visible instead in the encroachments and violence perpetrated against minority cultural symbols, such as mosques and other institutions by Sangh Parivar activists and affiliate groups. It is evident in the assaults on members of minority communities under false pretexts of religious conversion or enticing Hindu girls,  as much as in the state-sponsored harassment of minorities witnessed in BJP-ruled states. These are merely small examples showing how actions on the street stand in stark contrast to the lofty philosophical proclamations made by Bhagwat, who heads an organisation with a paramilitary character. Statements also emanate from the leadership, falsely claiming that such acts are committed not by disciplined cadres, but by misinformed elements. But when individuals belonging to the organization's cadre itself are named as accused in these cases, claiming that RSS activists bear no responsibility is inherently irresponsible. How can a leader deliver philosophical discourses while turning a blind eye to these realities, without demanding course corrections from his own followers?

Along with expounding on the glory of Indian culture, Bhagwat also spoke about the Constitution.  Emphasising the constitutional phrase "We, the people of India," he underscored the imperative need to strengthen emotional unity amid the country's vast diversity. However, even as he spoke of unity, it would seem he lost all memory of how the RSS organisational machinery itself engages in acts of violence and divisive activities that run directly counter to this ideal. One might understand avoiding unpleasant utterances in front of a distinguished audience at an auspicious centennial event. But why is it that not a single voice is ever raised by Bhagwat or organisational leaders when attacks and untoward incidents occur at the hands of their own followers? Furthermore, venomous statements that amount to calls for communal unrest frequently originate from responsible leaders themselves. At no such moment do calls for the nation's unity ever emerge from the RSS side.

When Bhagwat speaks about the Constitution, it is common knowledge even to a child that the RSS, its sister organisations, and its political arm, the BJP, indulge in acts that undermine through word and deed the very foundations of equality and secularism enshrined in that Constitution. Only after establishing a clear and genuine position on these values can the concerns and apprehensions within society regarding the "cultural unity" proclaimed by the Sangh — and the place of diverse believers within it — be dispelled. Until that happens, the RSS as a movement will continue to pose a threat to the nation's harmony and very existence, no matter what the Sarsanghchalak says.