Journalism of Courage
With his three-day lecture series, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has not only tried to change the public perception about RSS, but also sent a clear message to BJP leaders that “they should not take their ideological parent for granted” and that RSS wanted to reach out to moderate Hindus too, according to a section of BJP leaders.
The Indian Express asked several BJP leaders who worked with RSS before joining BJP about the message conveyed by the event. Almost all of them said it was a practice that has been followed for long. “Every Sarsanghchalak holds such an event, it’s an orientation programme about RSS ideology. But with BJP’s success formula fascinating everyone now, there is a new-found interest,” said BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao.
Also read | Constitution, Hindutva, praise for Congress: What Bhagwat said at the RSS event
“RSS does not want the end of Congress. For BJP’s success, Congress is essential. BJP has not been successful where Congress is weak. Take the case of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and UP; BJP’s success may not last long if parochial regional parties grow strong,” the leader said.
Despite electoral successes, BJP leaders understand that the RSS is yet to influence the larger Hindu population “which does not appreciate the fringe, but prefers a centric Hindu”.
Bhagwat, said a BJP leader, has communicated clearly that RSS is not satisfied with electoral success. “What the RSS wants is that the Indian polity should become Hindu-centric like the European or American polity is Christian-centric. This is different from politics in Islamic countries where religious rights of others are crushed. RSS wants Hinduism as the mainstream and it wants its ideological influence on all parties,” said R Balashankar, member, BJP Central Committee on Training, and Committee on Publications.
Also read | Bhagwat’s silence on Golwalkar telling: Edits anti-Muslim remark
According to a BJP leader, there was a message for Congress too. “Congress is getting too influenced by the Leftists. RSS does not want Congress to distance itself from 85 per cent of the population. Bhagwat was trying to tell the Congress the language of secularism it should speak,” he said.
But when Bhagwat, replying to questions, advised politicians to refrain from using “polarising language”, was he also sending a message to top leaders of the BJP? Rao said, “RSS never promoted language of violence.” Another BJP leader said what Bhagwat meant was that politics of polarisation by any party cannot be supported.
A BJP leader said the party did not come to power only on the promise of building Ram Temple, but on its promise of a corruption-free government and projection of India’s image as a unique country. “Did it succeed in eradicating corruption? It was also a suggestion to BJP that it should focus on creating a national narrative instead of resorting to negative politics.”
