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Journalism of Courage
The three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) of the RSS that concluded in Bengaluru on Sunday saw the organisation steering clear of direct questions about the BJP and maintaining a balanced position on delimitation and the three-language formula even as it tacitly took on the M K Stalin-led DMK that has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the two issues.
The ABPS is the highest decision-making body of the Sangh. The issues discussed and the decisions taken at its annual meeting not only give direction to the RSS for the following year but also send a signal to the government on what it wants to be implemented at the policy level.
On the ongoing controversy in Maharashtra over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the Sangh, however, took a critical line on the ruler even as it celebrated his brother Dara Shikoh. It also passed a resolution in favour of the Hindus of Bangladesh. In its centenary year, the Sangh has planned celebrations but chose to project its successes as those of society in general.
At a time when the BJP-led Centre and the Tamil Nadu government are at odds over the three-language formula, the RSS manoeuvred around the dispute, advocating the use of mother tongue, the regional language where a person resides, and a career language that could be English or any other language.
However, in a tacit attack on the DMK, the RSS expressed concern about forces that “are challenging national unity, especially by raising the North-South divide, whether it is about delimitation or languages”.
On the “language war”, RSS leader C R Mukunda said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had often asked swayamsevaks from the Hindi belt to learn a South Indian language or a Northeastern language, both for self-improvement and national harmony.
The Sangh’s nuanced line, with no necessary emphasis on Hindi, comes at a time when the DMK has accused the Centre of trying to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu in the guise of the three-language formula, while the BJP has made it clear that the formula, which was adopted decades ago, does not mandate Hindi, and that Tamil Nadu was free to teach Tamil, English and any other South Indian language, if it so wished.
On delimitation, Mukunda said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made it clear that it would be based on a “pro-rata basis” while RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale brushed aside the issue saying there was no Bill on it yet to common upon. “If some southern state is having some number of Lok Sabha seats out of 543, that ratio will be held as it is,” Mukunda said.
On the second day of the meet on Saturday, the Sangh also passed a resolution expressing serious concern about atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, with a passing reference to attempts by “international forces” and the “deep state in America”.
Emphasising that India and its neighbours have had a common journey — a shared culture and traditions for thousands of years — Kumar said there were attempts to spread mistrust and distrust between India and its neighbours.
Silence on BJP’s next president
When asked about whether disagreement between the BJP and RSS over the comments of BJP national president J P Nadda had delayed the party’s organisational elections, Kumar said: “RSS people work in more than 32 organisations, each independent with its own decision-making procedure. There is no coordination meeting (with the Sangh) for electing the (BJP) president. We (RSS and BJP) are not in conflict over this, and work together for society and the nation.”
Hosabale also echoed Kumar’s views on the issue.
Hosabale on Sunday said Aurangzeb was against “Bharat’s ethos” and that it was a threat to the country if the “invader mindset” still existed.
“If someone is trying to draw inspiration from an invader who wanted to finish off national ethos; who wanted to destroy the cultural heritage of this land… he is an invader…,” Hosabale underlined. “And every society in the world has recorded these things about their society. In India, in Bharat, if someone wants to present a distorted version or narrative, that has to be fought.”
In the recent past, a heated debate has erupted over Aurangzeb, with the film Chhava depicting his “atrocities” and right-wing activists demanding the razing of the tomb of the Mughal emperor at Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar of Maharashtra.
No to religious quotas
Amid controversy over the Congress government in Karnataka announcing a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts, Hosabale reiterated the Sangh’s position that the Constitution does not allow religion-based quota.
“Religion-based reservation is not accepted in the Constitution authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Anybody doing it is going against the architect of our Constitution,” he said and added that previous attempts by Maharashtra and united Andhra Pradesh to introduce religion-based reservations for Muslims were struck down by High Courts and the Supreme Court.
