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The speech of Mohan Bhagwat, the Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, at the recently concluded conclave in the Capital has certainly caused a flutter. There was a genuine attempt made to move from the fringe to the mainstream, though one can argue that this happened after the BJP came to the power at the Centre. Bhagwat praised the Congress’ role in the Independence movement but not before mentioning RSS’ contribution. But his most noteworthy remark was terming ‘Hindutva’ as ‘inclusive’, saying that there can be no Hindutva without Muslims being a part of it. He even said that the RSS was in sync with the Constitution, including its “socialist and secular” character.
Interestingly, Bhagwat also distanced the RSS from some of the extreme views of MS Golwalkar, especially towards religious minorities and fascism. He also said that the RSS supported reservations in educations and jobs, which has surprised many given its deep antipathy towards affirmative action in the past.
Do these Bhagwat’s remarks signify a change in direction by the RSS? There has of course been a flurry of analyses in the media about RSS’ turn to the centre. The more charitable commentators have remarked that it was time RSS undertook a “course correction” and claimed that the RSS was trying to position itself as a traditional conservative force in the Western European sense. The objective, according to them, was to woo the urban Hindu intelligentsia which had frowned upon its more extreme views.
The critics, however, were quick to point out that this was just a gimmick keeping the next year’s general election in mind, with BJP looking unsure of retaining power. Hence, the RSS is trying to appeal to all sections of society, showcasing its inclusive agenda.
There is no denying that the RSS’ core agenda will always remain sectarian in nature. But its tentative steps to occupy the middle ground point towards an interesting future. Was former President Pranab Mukherjee’s speech at Nagpur earlier this year a nudge for RSS’ “centrist shift”?
B BaskarSenior Deputy Editor
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