Opinion Does this look like the RSS’s creation to you?

While the well-heeled stand out as a sore thumb it’s the poor person who is conspicuous by his appearance. It’s easy to tell the rural from the urban,the hip from the square.

It’s difficult however to tell Muslims from Hindus. I find myself looking for the Muslims as I’ve been told that there are no “Muslim” faces in the crowd. Being a Muslim myself,I wonder what is so distinguishably different about my tribe. Are Muslims a different species? Is their appearance distinguished by certain stereotypical traits — skullcaps,long beards,betel stains on pathan suits?

It’s remarkable that this communal observation is registered by so-called liberals,who see a communal agenda even where none exists. Some of who claim that this is a RSS stage-managed event.

Do they not expect their Muslim brethren to be a part of a vibrant mainstream culture where everyone appears homogenously alike — to a fault? Do these champions of the Muslim cause not want them to be seen participating in a crusade that impacts them equally,against the malaise of corruption? Why do they have to bracket this deluge of protest and hope into buckets of religion and caste? Do they have to dissect every slogan and every song? Do they have to watch every event and occurrence through the prism of religion and gender,class and caste?

Some call the Anna storm a media creation. Some dub it a middle-class fad. Many have warned me of its right-wing leanings. Many believe it’s a RSS conspiracy. (Which is why I went scurrying around the swampy Ramlila ground looking for “Muslim faces” in the first place.)

Having been closely associated with it,I see no traces of communalism in this movement. Think about this: why would the RSS sponsor a movement where the protagonist seeks inspiration from its ideological bête noire,the Mahatma himself?

Consider this,too: the BJP’s oldest ally,the Shiv Sena has been virulent in its attack on Anna Hazare,through several of its leaders,be it Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut who calls Ralegaon Siddhi the “Gangotri of corruption”,to Suresh Dada Jain,a key Sena leader who has filed legal cases against Anna.

Or that the RSS would fund a campaign where Prashant Bhushan is present: known for his views on the Gujarat riots,he was amicus curiae when the Supreme Court ordered the SIT investigation into the role of Narendra Modi. Or Justice Rajinder Sachar,a key supporter of Anna’s efforts and the man behind the outstanding report on the state of Indian Muslims, would readily back a RSS stage-managed event

It may be said that the unintended political fallout might make the opposition its beneficiary,in this case,the BJP. But the real fallout of this campaign will be the accountability that citizens now demand from those who have been elected to serve them. So if the RSS were to back such a move — good for them! And if the Congress were to back such a move — power to them,too. In fact the desire of team Anna is that every political party heeds this outpouring,emanating from the pain that people of all castes and classes feel.

So I invite the RSS,the BJP and of course,the ruling party,to please manage this stage: a stage wherein,for the first time in independent India,a totally apolitical interest group,driven by mass-scale participation,is being seen on an issue affecting every Indian.

The writer is a member of ‘India Against Corruption’