Abstract
The book, The RSS: Roadmaps for the 21st Century, written by Sunil Ambekar, a high-ranking Pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and presently the Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, has been published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, in the year 2019. The price of this book is ₹595 and it contains a total of 230 pages. The experienced author served as the National Organising Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from 2003 to 2019. The highly educated author, who has a deep understanding of the facts, has presented his views with great clarity in this book, which is divided into ten chapters.
In the Introduction entitled ‘The Story of India’s Future’ (pp. 7–17), the learned author has discussed the ‘state of our nation’ in 2047, the year in which our country will celebrate its 100 years of Independence from colonial rule, and what would be the relevance of the RSS in the same time period. The topics like ‘relevance’ have been seriously highlighted. In the light of 96 years of journey of the RSS, a deep thinking has been presented on the core topics like ‘Sangh Samaj Banega’, spiritual brotherhood, leadership and the Sangh Ethos, Sangh, etc.
In the first chapter (pp. 1–16) entitled ‘Tracing the Origins’, it has been attempted nicely to throw light on the life sketch of Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, or ‘Doctorji’, the founder of the RSS. Doctorji’s innate qualities of patriotism have been mentioned in a very poignant description of his formative years with emotional illustrations. During his stay in Calcutta for medical studies, he participated in the activities of Dhaka Anushilan Samiti, engaged in the national movement, as well as in the relief works run by the Ramakrishna Mission, and worked for the victims of the diseases spread during the Makar Sankranti Fair at Gangasagar. Apart from these services, he popularised the Ganapati festival in Calcutta. The rise of Doctorji as a Young Leader on returning to Nagpur after completing his studies in 1915, have been discussed. After serving one year of rigorous imprisonment in a treason case for taking part in the Non-cooperation Movement, Doctorji, who participated very actively in the activities of the Congress party, was appointed the joint secretary for the 1922 State Session of the Congress. At the same time, he also started living in the eyes of the top leadership of the Congress Party. Despite this, Doctorji left the Congress party and formed a separate organisation, which has been described in detail in this chapter. Along with this, the intellectual influences and Basic Sangh Principles have also been discussed in depth.
In the second chapter ‘Doctorji’s Vision: Ideas that Shaped the Sangh’ (pp. 17–28), contributions of RSS and Doctorji in the freedom movement, and the Leadership Choice in the Sangh has been discussed. The Core Postulates of the Sangh Thought—Rashtriyata or Cultural Nationalism, Ekatmata or Spiritual Unity and Samuhikta or Oneness—have been interpreted as the central idea. Quoting the speech of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at the Convocation Ceremony of the Aligarh Muslim University on 24 January 1948, a fascinating and powerful description of some of the central elements of India’s cultural heritage and a detailed reflection on the viewpoint of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have been submitted. Describing ‘Making India Great’ as the only goal of the Sangh, it has been concluded that the RSS philosophy is the eternal spirit of Bharat.
In the third chapter (pp. 29–49) ‘Shakha-System and Structure: How the RSS Works’, the multiple ways of evolution of the Shakha-system since the very beginning of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami on 27 September 1925, facing the challenges have been explained. The author, a postgraduate in Zoology, has presented the subject in an interesting way, using his Zoological expertise, to visualise and explain the terminology and has depicted the Shakhas as the microcosms of India, which seems to be very appropriate. In the course of detailed analysis of Gandhiji’s arrival at the RSS camp organised in Wardha in December 1934 and his dialogue with Doctorji, especially resolution of Gandhiji’s doubts related to financial management and caste discrimination there, has also been described.
Along with the most important lesson taught in the Shakhas of RSS, ‘India is a Hindu Rashtra’, and the ‘Nation First’ has also been explained. Proving the readiness of RSS to the defence of Society with many incidents and examples, a step-by-step description of the expansion of the functioning of the Sangh has been presented. While outlining the origin of the Sangh prayer, it has described the changes that have taken place over time as well as an Ecosystem of Integration has also been focused on. There is a concise mention of the Lessons from the Emergency, restrictions imposed on the RSS during the Emergency and the activities of the RSS during this period, as well as the outline of the Shakha System and women’s participation in the 21st century, and the roadmaps of the Sangh.
In the fourth chapter ‘The History of Bharat’ (pp. 50–76), looking through the Western prism and British colonial lens, through the eyes of the Marxist and Macaulayist historians, along with disapproving the distorted, coloured and biased presentation of history, it has also highlighted the obliteration of tribal history. The essence of the History Mission, along with clarifying the basis of ‘Bharat Bodh’ (i.e., Comprehending India), the importance of the Study of Social History, various dimensions of Ongoing History Projects and the need for Indianisation of Education has also been made clear. ‘Ram Mandir’, the most compelling example of the sponsored controversy over authentic history, along with mentioning the Pravasi Narratives, Bigoted Interpretations, Erasing the Antiquity of Indian Nationhood, etc., with multiple details, has been highlighted. The importance of new museums as Home of Lost History, Expansion of Nehru Memorial Museum, High-priority Projects related to the Partition and Emergency, teaching of Sanskrit and usefulness of restoration of glory through renaming places have also been made clear.
In the fifth chapter entitled ‘Rise of Sanatan Hindutva’ (pp. 77–104), while clarifying the meaning of Hindutva in the light of facts and contexts, the efforts made by Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Shraddhanand Saraswati, famous revolutionary Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Sree Narayan Guru, Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Bharat Ratna Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Shri Narendra Modi, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Swami Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have been instrumental in interpreting and propagating Hindutva as a way of life. It has been explained as the Designer of Hindutva. Hindutva has been established as an icon of Oneness. Revealing the specialty of India’s ‘Inclusion Embraces Differences’, ‘Separatism’ has been described as the root of Conflicts. The necessity of re-establishing the Hindu Rashtra by stating the mantra of ‘Achieving Greatness through Hindutva’ has been emphasised. Coordination, consent and co-existence have been interpreted as the three major principles of Hindutva. A comprehensive discussion has been presented on the important Hindutva concerns—Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Gau Raksha or Cow Protection, Propagation of Sanskrit, Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and National Security Armour.
In the sixth chapter ‘Caste and Social Justice’ (pp. 105–127), in the background of the correlation between these two, describing the Pervasive Discrimination in the society along with the social fabric and structure as Corrosion of Caste as Jati, the efforts of great social reformists of the modern era like Gandhiji, Dr Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar and Dr Hedgewar have been discussed. While presenting a balanced description of the activities of the Sangh as a reforming and harmonious force since its inception, the path of social justice of the Sangh has been discussed. The meaningful efforts of the Sangh in getting freedom from the caste politics and cultural renaissance have been described with various examples. Adequate light has also been thrown on the Samajik Samrasata Samskara, Samrasata Platforms and New Order of Equality.
In the seventh chapter named ‘The Sangh Parivar’ (pp. 128–149), the structure of Sangh and its various sectors’ organisations, Sangh Parivar and their inter-linkages through common threads have been explained appropriately. The environmental activities conducted by the Sangh and Parivar organisations and their Dialogue before Agitation along with the Linkages and Relationships, Mechanisms of Coordination and their Democratic Responsibilities have been analysed in depth. Throwing light on the wide possibilities in line with the Roadmap for the Future—Gram Vikas (Rural Development), Gau Seva (Cow Service), Micro Finance and Feedback Mechanism—has been discussed.
The eighth chapter ‘In the Globalized World’ (pp. 150–166), examines the cultural similarity between India and Southeast Asia as well as the Chinese Conundrum in the background of India’s tradition of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ that has been going on for thousands of years. Thoughts on Global Reach, Reverence for Pravasis, Challenges before the World, including the Scourge of Terrorism, Promotion of Indigenous Cultures, Strands of Realism and idealism in context of globalisation have been presented.
In the ninth chapter named ‘Family and Emerging Modern Relationships’ (pp. 167–184), among the five main activities of RSS, ‘Kutumb Prabodhan’ (or Family Enlightenment) is mentioned as the first one and by identifying the various dimensions of social challenges, the importance of an Idyllic Family and the Indian Family Values have been discussed. Along with this, the comparative scenario of many aspects of Divisive Forces and Family disintegration has been discussed, and fundamental measures to control it have also been suggested. Interpreting marriage and family as two successful and long-lasting institutions of our Indian society, emphasis has been laid on the necessity of meeting and understanding each other as well as mutual affection, while various aspects of live-in relationships and inter-caste marriages have been discussed. There has been an open discussion, expressing concern over the condition and need of care for the elderly, domestic violence, female foeticide, homosexuality, etc., caution has also been raised. Considering the rights of transgenders, and an outline of the essential elements of ‘family enlightenment’ has been presented.
In the tenth chapter ‘Women’s Movement’ (pp. 185–202), the circumstances of the initial days of the establishment of ‘Rashtra Sevika Samiti’ by Laxmibai (mausi) Kelkar in the year 1936, its all-India expansion and the work done by it are discussed. The enthusiastic participation of women power in the activities of ABVP, established in the year 1948, is described with examples of leading leadership, such as the bike rally-fest organised on the eve of Hindu New Year by Shraddha Pathak. The chapter has been logically concluded with the responsibilities and achievements of Prominent Women at the Forefront along with the initiatives taken by the Sangh in the context of Tackling Challenges, women’s coordination, contemporary discussion, Mahila Samanvay: Co-ordination in the Parivar, Contemporary Conversations, the reality of feminism and discussions of Dignity and Security, and Women in the Workforce.
Appropriately, the ‘Epilogue: A Guiding, Providing and Protective Force’ (pp. 203–208) seems to play the role of a mirror of this book. In the ‘Annexure: Being Candid’ (pp. 209–219), the author has tried to give a sharp and clear answer to those common notions and beliefs, which are often present in the minds of the common people regarding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and which the author has realised in his long experience of social life. It has dealt with non-political character of the RSS, Policies and Awareness Campaigns, Growing in Strength, Intellectual Movement, Linguistic Unity for Expansion, Umbrella of Hindutwa, Concerns and Challenges, Freedom of Expression and Leadership for Sangh Centenary and related roadmaps. The RSS Structure has been characterised by an Organogram consisting of the hierarchy of rank and files in the RSS. Due to the inclusion of a Glossary (pp. 221–222) and an Index (pp. 223–230), the rate of standardisation of the book and its value for the readers has become high. The language of the book is natural, simple and standard and there is simplicity in the flow. This book, full of real-life experiences, will prove to be interesting, useful and full of information for all those readers who are curious about the working methodology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its future plans.