RSS focused on changing ground reality, leaves optics of caste census to politicians

The focus of the RSS has been on ‘Samajik Samrasta’ right from the beginning and it is intrinsically linked to its very functioning. (File image)

Has the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) changed its stand on the issue of caste census? Most political analysts tend to get a wrong answer to this question as they miss the context. To understand the context, one has to understand a few things closely linked with the functioning of the RSS and its historical evolution over the last 98 years. So here are these few things.

Social Cohesion

The focus of the RSS has been on ‘Samajik Samrasta’ right from the beginning and it is intrinsically linked to its very functioning. Samajik Samrasta doesn’t have an exact English translation but it can be broadly understood as social cohesion; some commentators call it social equality also. In the RSS, everyone is addressed by the first name with a suffix of ‘ji’(a hindi word used to show respect) and no surnames are used. The surnames denote one’s caste in India. This practice of not using surnames started with the inception of the Sangh in 1925 and continues till today. The RSS’ training camps have volunteers who eat together, play together and stay together without bothering about caste. More than 60,000 shakhas (daily gathering of RSS’ volunteers at the local level) organise ‘Sahbhoj’ at least once a month. Sahbhoj is a community dinner where RSS volunteers bring food from their homes. All the food items are mixed together and then everyone eats together.

READ | General Elections 2024: Caste census may attract attention in poll fight

RSS Impresses Mahatma And Ambedkar

Due to its efforts to end caste-based discrimination right since its inception in 1925, Mahatma Gandhi was all praise for the RSS when he visited its camp in Wardha, Maharashtra, in 1934.  Mahatma Gandhi recalled this visit when he addressed an RSS meeting on September 16, 1947 in the sweepers’ colony in Delhi.  ‘Harijan’, a weekly newspaper published by Mahatma Gandhi reported this event on September 28, 1947.

The report read: “Gandhiji said that he had visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh camp years ago at Wardha, when the founder Shri Hedgewar was alive. The late Shri Jamnalal Bajaj had taken him to the camp and he (Gandhi) had been very well impressed by their discipline, complete absence of untouchability and rigorous simplicity.

“Since then, the Sangh has grown. Gandhiji was convinced that any organisation, which was inspired by the ideal of service and self-sacrifice, was bound to grow in strength,” the report added.

Dr BR Ambedkar was also deeply impressed by the way RSS volunteers practised ‘samajik samrasta’ effortlessly.

The first formal interaction of Ambedkar with the RSS took place in 1935. He had gone to Dapoli near Pune for some work where he visited an RSS shakha. In 1939, he was invited to an RSS training camp in Pune. There he also met RSS founder Dr KB Hedgewar.

There were more than 500 RSS volunteers when Ambedkar reached the camp. Ambedkar was quite impressed by the fact that there was no discrimination on the basis of caste. In June 1953, senior RSS functionaries Moropant Pingley and Balasaheb Sathey met Dr. Ambedkar in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, where the latter asked for detailed information about the outreach of the RSS.

Foundation For VHP

The second Sarsanghchalak of the RSS MS Golwalkar inspired the setting up of Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) to end caste based discrimination by bringing all the religious seers of Hindu faith together. The VHP was founded in 1964 on the occasion of Janmashtami at Sandeepni Ashram in Mumbai in the presence of 40 leading lights of Bharatiya society. The VHP was set up after the RSS realised that caste discrimination is a major fault line of Hindu society and it is being exploited for religious conversions especially by Christian Missionaries. Earlier the RSS inspired setting up of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in early 1950s to work among Scheduled Tribes who had become easy prey for the Christian Missionaries due to their marginalisation within the Hindu society.

Also read | Will caste census yield the desired political dividends?

The RSS, in recent times, has set up a full-fledged vertical called ‘Samajik Samrasta’.  This vertical specifically works to end any kind of discrimination faced by the socially marginalised sections of the society.

RSS View On Caste Discrimination

The RSS’ worldview on the caste discrimination in Bharat is best depicted by a lecture delivered by the RSS’ third Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras at the Vasant Vyakhyanmala in Pune in 1974. This is a much cherished lecture by the RSS volunteers and they consider it to be the guiding framework for its efforts to eradicate social inequality.

Deoras said, “Untouchability is a .. saddening and unfortunate aspect of our social inequality. Some thinkers opine that it was nonexistent in the olden times, but at some stage, during the passage of time, it gatecrashed into our social system and took root. Whatever be its origin, all of us consider that untouchability is a terrible folly and it must, of necessity, be thrown out lock, stock and barrel. There are no two opinions about it. Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery in America, said, “If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.” Similarly, it is for all of us to declare, “If untouchability is not wrong, then nothing in the world is wrong!” Every one of us must, therefore, aim at eradicating social inequality in each and every form. We must clearly explain to the people at large how our society became weak and disorganised on account of social inequalities. We must also show them the way to get rid of them. It is necessary that every individual must make his or her contribution in this effort. That would remove a stumbling block in the way of Hindu Consolidation.”

One also has to understand that there are only three functionaries of Sangh whose statements can be taken as an official stand - Sarsanghchalak (Chief mentor), Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) and Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh (All India Publicity Chief). The Prachar Pramukh has made the organisation’s stand clear on the issue of caste census. The essence of this stand is that anything that helps in empowering the marginalised sections should be done, a conducive atmosphere in society should be observed by all and no fault lines should be created.

Also Read | 2024 Lok Sabha polls: Will caste census be a game-changer?

The RSS’ commitment to end caste-based discrimination and empower the marginalised sections of the society on the ground is more important than the political optics on caste related issues. The RSS has left it to the political parties as far as these optics are concerned as Sangh is too busy with its swayamsevaks implementing more than 2 lakh welfare projects across the country often reaching out where even the governments can’t reach out. It is planning to expand its outreach massively in the sphere of social reforms as it turns 100 in 2025. To sum it up, on the issue of ending caste discrimination and empowering the marginalised communities, Sangh believes in the dictum: ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ And it should be judged by that.

Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.