RSS officially disowns

Golwalkar's book
Akshaya Mukul| TNN | Mar 9, 2006, TIMES OF INDIA
NEW DELHI: In a major ideological shift, RSS has for the first time officially disowned M S
Golwalkar's book We or Our Nationhood Defined published in 1939 as "neither
representing the views of the grown Guruji nor of the RSS".

We is considered the basic charter of Sangh from where the idea of separating 'We'
(Hindus) from other communities and cultural nationalism emanates. In fact, L K Advani
has been a vocal proponent of cultural nationalism as the key essence of BJP.

Top Comment
true to its style the rss, a secretive & hitlerite hindu out-fit as regards its words &
deeds, pretends to hide its ugly face. it outwardly disowns " WE or Our......" while, in
practice, assiduously follows the essence of its message ! if,"We..." was an abridged
version of G D Savarkar's "Rashtra Mimansa" , did the rss discredit it too? moreover,
its definition of 'nationalism' is basically flawed in that one's faith has no role to play
in it--but what matters is race, language, geography. for example , we have Tamil
Muslims, Tamil Christians, in the so-called hindu fold itself we have a variety of faiths
like Saivites, Vaishnavites,etc. and what about that section which rejects faith of any
kind-do they not of any nationality? lastly, one can't take the rss' spoken words for
what they are. it says, just to evade tax, that it is a cultural organization while in
practice it is absolutely political; it claims that it has no membership but its presence
is everywhere--it has full timers, runs schools shakas,etc., across the length &
breadth of the country & abroad. engineers communal riots. it is a past master in
double talk. it is as abominable any other communalist-fundamentalist group like the
afghan talibans,al-qaeda,isis. it is a past master in double talk
Samikkannu A

The booklet Shri Guruji and Indian Muslims, authored by Delhi University lecturer Rakesh
Sinha and published by RSS' Suruchi Prakashan and formally released by Sangh in
Nagpur on February 24, argues that in his lifetime Golwalkar had "revealed that the book
carried not his own views but was an abridged version of G D Savarkar's Rashtra
Mimansa".

Based on this premise, Sinha attacks "secularist social scientists" for taking "great solace
in quoting We", whereas the "journey of his (Golwalkar) thought begins with his
succession as sarsanghchalak of RSS in 1940 and continued till 1973 when he died".

Former RSS spokesperson M G Vaidya while approving the removal of We from the
Sangh's pantheon of texts, says the book that is central to "us is Golwalkar's Bunch of
Thoughts since it consists of his views after he became sarsanghchalak on June 21,
1940".

Speaking from his village in Wardha, Vaidya told TOI: "We is not the RSS' Bible as
everyone would like to believe. If it was the Bible then every Sangh worker would have
read it and it could have been found in every house. But it is not the case."

In fact, Vaidya says that since 1946 when he joined RSS, the book has never been
propagated by the Sangh. He says that the seven volumes of Golwalkar's works which
came out after his death also did not include We.

Similarly, the 12-volume collection of Golwalkar's works brought out last year on the
occasion of his birth centenary also blacks out We.

But wasn't Sangh's 'cultural nationalism' and theory of 'five unities' geographical,
racial, religious, cultural and linguistic forming a nation given by Golwalkar?

Isn't it also true that on the basis of geography, race and religion, Golwalkar in We
propounded, "This great Hindu race professes its illustrious Hindu religion, the only

religion in the worth of being so denominated...guided by this religion in all walks of

life...the race evolved a culture, which despite the degenerating contact with the
debased 'civilisations' of the Mussalmans and the Europeans...is still the noblest in the
world."

M.S.GOLWALKARHis Last Message

Nowadays people seem to be very much worried about my health. However, I have directed Dr.
Thatte to draw up my tour programme for the ensuing Sangh Shiksha Varga Camps. I have a feeling
that if the programme is drawn up and kept ready, I may be able to go through it somehow.

Assured of Smooth Sailing

Now we have to think of one thing and it is this: whether a particular individual lives or not,
that fact is not going to affect adversely the future of our organisation. However, the history of
institutions, modern and ancient, in our country shows that institutions flourish for some time and
carry on their work smoothly; then, differences develop among the members. The differences are
more between individuals than between their professed principles. We find that practically all
organisations, including the Congress, have split. Some are hoping that some day there will be a
similar division in the RSS also. Pursuing the same line, some newspapers have published
tendentious reports that within the RSS a tussle is on for the post of Sarsanghachalak. However, we
have set out to integrate and not to bring about disintegration. We are determined to so conduct
ourselves that our work of organisation will go on smoothly.

Determined to Integrate
We, no doubt, have occasional tiffs but manage to settle them with goodwill and
understanding. Petty things do not hurt us when the interest of the organisation is uppermost in our
minds.
We are here to reorganise the entire people; we have to extend the concept of corporate living
to the entire society. It is a great work involving tremendous effort and responsibility. Hence
whatever the situation, we have decided never to allow prejudices and mutual ill-will to harm the
work of Sanghathan.

Affirm the Ideal

Our brothers are working in different spheres of national life, e.g., students, labour, politics,
etc. They work in those spheres in keeping with its constitution, rules and its modus operandi which
are, however, distinct from that of ours. All the same, the Swayamsevaks will have to work in those
fields with the basic conviction of Hindu Rashtra which they have imbibed in the Sangh and try to
influence and permeate those fields also with that life-giving thought.
Some may feel that all people are not likely to agree to our concept of Hindu Rashtra. But it is
immaterial whether some people accept or reject the truth we propound. Our ideas should be clear
and our faith in them unswerving. Then alone will the people be persuaded to accept the truth. I
am confident that, ultimately, people will be convinced. If, in our respective fields, we can explain
our ideas clearly and consistently to more and more people, they will gradually join our ranks and
come to appreciate our thought. But, if we approach people with weakness lurking in our own
fields, we can explain our ideas clearly and consistently to more and more people, they will
gradually join our ranks and come to appreciate our thought. But, if we approach people with
weakness lurking in our own hearts and talk to them in a lukewarm manner, then, everything will
come to an end; and it will be an additional obstacle in the path of our ideal instead of being a
strong support, which we expect it to be.

People's Trust
In our country, along with the ideal, high moral character has ever been emphasised. And we
have succeeded in achieving it to a certain extent. I shall give an example, of how the public, too,
have come to recognise this fact.
Once there was a question as to whose signatures were to be affixed to the appeal for the fund
collection of 'Dr. B.S. Moonje birth centenary celebration committee' at Nagpur. Seven names were
selected from different states among which one was of Rajaji. I requested the Sanghachalak of
Madras to see him in order to get his consent. Rajaji said that he had decided never to affix his
signature to any appeal for collection of funds as he had a very bitter experience in that regard till
then. The Sanghachalak gave the letter addressed by me to Rajaji. On seeing it, he remarked, "Oh,
if Golwalkar is there on the committee, then I can have no objection. I have no doubt that the
money will be utilised for the particular purpose only. He signed the appeal. This is how the people
have begun to trust us.

Success, Nothing but Success

We should also bear in mind that our work in different spheres cannot succeed without the firm
base of Shakha. Wherever the Shakha flourishes, other works also will definitely prosper. It
becomes our bounden duty therefore to see that the programmes and the systems of Shakha,

behavioural norms of Swayamsevaks, their attitudes and development of their qualities - all these
receive our single-minded attention and diligent efforts. I can say, with all the confidence at my
command, that the more we attend to this aspect with steadfastness and dedication, the more
shall we be crowned with success, nothing but success all the way.

Being Reduced as House-Dogs

On considering the conditions prevailing in our country, we find that it is gradually tending
towards dictatorship. Some say that the Russian form of dictatorship is approaching fast. Whatever
its type, it is seen these days that workers can be enslaved by an intense propaganda of any type.
Currently 'nationalisation' is being propagated. The demand for nationalisation of all essential goods
had become vociferous. Nagpur dealers in chillies have also put forth their demand for
nationalisation of the trade in chillies. Recently, an important Congress leader has declared that
nationalisation of food-grains is not enough and that it should be extended to all other articles.
Where is that sense of dignity of man, which should have been the hallmark of democracy? Man is
being reduced to the stage of a house-dog. He is rendered spiritless. Even though whipped, he will
salivate for a piece of bread.

Cringing Levels
There is an instance to show to what cringing level our countrymen may fall. Once I visited a
camp of persons displaced from Sind. On seeing me they began to complain that a huge profit had
been made by Congressmen out of the tin-sheets brought for the Congress session; that these
sheets had been given to them on the condition that they be gifted to the displaced persons to be
used for the roofs of their cottage. When I asked them what they would gain by approaching me,
they said that they desired the opposition party to take up this issue. When I asked them to what
party they had voted during the last election, they kept mum. I could well appreciate the fix in
which my question had put them. I then asked them, how it could work that they vote for one party
and expect the opposition to do their job. If they expected the opposition to raise its voice they
should have supported it. This is how our people behave today. They have no convictions, no mental
stamina to stand up for any cause.

Reach the Goal at All Costs

Today, disintegrating forces are afoot in our country and the foreign powers are lying in wait to
fish in the troubled waters. Some years back, the foreign powers had their hand behind the
language conflict in Assam. Now it seems there is the foreign hand in the circulation of exaggerated

news of persecution of Harijans. The foreign powers know very well that they can retain their
supremacy in this country only by splitting the Hindus.
We must admit that we have not been successful, to the extent expected of us, in integrating
the society and rousing the feeling of intense patriotism in it. As such, we have to be more keenly
conscious of our responsibility, think about all aspects of our work, and put ourselves to the wheel
wholeheartedly and with a resolve to reach the goal at all costs in the near future. Representatives
from various parts of the country have assembled here, and I am sure they will assuredly put in all
possible efforts in their respective spheres in this direction.
Today I have spoken - who knows whether God will allow me another opportunity!

Lesson from Hindu History

The following is a talk given by Paramapoojaneeya Sri Guruji Golwalkar in the Sangh Shiksha
Varg (Officers Training Camp) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh held at Nagpur, on Thursday, 75-1942. This was delivered when the country was still under the thralldom of British rule. Though
more than six decades have gone since he gave this clarion call to the Hindu Nation to shun the
inherent weakness of disunity and lack of national consciousness which has brought its downfall,
the condition of the Hindus in general still remains the same. There is no salvation to the Hindu
Nation unless Hindus themselves wake up and rise like a lion.

Lesson from Hindu History

You must be aware that, like in Nagpur, we are having our Officers Training Camp at Pune also,
where I had been since its opening and have returned only yesterday. I was fortunate to meet our
workers there, and now I shall have the pleasure to meet our workers from many more provinces,
who have gathered here. I shall be particularly glad to meet new Swayamsevaks and workers from
new branches that must have sprung up during the course of the year. Perhaps I may know them
through correspondence only, but now that they are here, I shall try to meet them personally. I am
afraid, I shall not be able to spend a major portion of my time in this camp as I shall be required to
visit other centres also. But I am here and I shall be required to utilizing whatever time I can
snatch, to form new acquaintances and renew old ones.

The Downfall of the Hindus

The very first thing that strikes us about ourselves is that we all belong to a great people called
Hindus numbering 30 crores, who dwell in this land of Bharatvarsha and on whose account the
country is known as Hindustan. The Hindus were once one of the most powerful and leading nations
of the world, and covered with all glory and greatness. In the past, so long as no foreign power

polluted the soil of this land, we lived in peace and plenty. We had a galaxy of mighty empires,
unequalled religious philosophies and enduring social fabrics. We had great thinkers and statesmen,
heroes and warriors, among us, with great armies at their command. But how is it that the same
people today have lost all this power, glory and freedom? Many thinking minds attribute the fall and
decay of the great Hindu nation of the past to various causes that strike them. Some of them say
that the foreigners were too powerful for us to defeat and were well equipped with men and
material. They were armed with superior weapons and had more powerful armies, well trained and
well disciplined than the Hindu forces. In short they believe that our downfall was not due to our
own inherent weakness and degradation but to the superior forces of the foreigners who descended
upon this land to destroy our way of life.

Taste of the Hindu Might

But we reach a different conclusion if we take into consideration two glaring instances from
our history, one of them being the first large scale and systematic invasion of Hindustan attempted
by the so called world conqueror, Alexander. The Greek warlord tried to invade Hindustan with his
powerful army. He reached as far as the western bank of Sindhu with a view to plunder this land of
gold. But Porus, a small Hindu King on the frontiers of Hindustan, barred the way of the invaders
and successfully threw back the hordes of invading Greeks. There is an incontrovertible evidence to
prove that Pours inflicted a major defeat upon Alexander. But the truth has been hidden from us by
foreign writers and historians. They were not prepared to accept that Alexanders expedition
petered out. How could the European historians admit that a king of their own white race was
defeated and put to flight by a coloured Hindu chief? On the other hand, they came out with a
version that the Greek forces defeated Porus and were about to move across the River Sindhu. But
it never happened. After the first encounter with Porus, Alexander had to give up his grandiose plan
of invasion and make straight for Greece via Iran. But the foreign authors were ready with their
interpretations. According to them, hands of Alexander were forced by the sudden mutiny among
his army, which wanted to return to Greece immediately. But this too never happened. Alexander
or his army never returned to Greece. Instead they decided to settle down into the green and
beautiful meadows of Iran, while Alexander found his grave on Iranian soil.
It is difficult to reconcile oneself to the distorted and fabricated version of the invasion as
given by foreign writers. We only learn by heart what we are taught in school textbooks. But we
must be able to judge facts and weigh them for ourselves and arrive at proper conclusions.
Soon after the death of Alexander, an invasion of Hindustan was again attempted by one of his
lieutenants, Selucus Nikator, but he was so very badly mauled by Emperor Chandragupta that,
taking a lesson of his lifetime from his crushing defeat, Selucus med peace with Chandragupta and
offered his own daughter to him in marriage.

Selucus had to bow before the mighty Hindu Emperor because it was impossible for the
invading forces to take a stand against the powerful Hindu armies of Chandragupta. But then how
could it happen that, after sometime in the History of Hindustan, a new and dark chapter was
opened by the Muslim aggression, which succeeded in pushing back the same powerful Hindus and
obtaining a firm foothold on the soil? Muslims were in fact, less powerful and ill equipped in
comparison with their predecessors, the Greeks. Why then the Hindus crumbled before the Muslim
onslaught and lost their freedom? You will find the answer to the above question in another
historical incident of peculiar significance - that is, the dramatic episode of Maharaj Prithviraj.
Prithviraj, as we all know, was the last Hindu Emperor of Hindustan, who had a great and
heroic army and a glorious empire. Mohammed Ghouri tried for more than a dozen times in
succession to invade the Hindu Empire, and every time the Muslim invader was completely beaten
back and put to flight. Several times Ghouri was personally captured by Prithviraj, but let go on
account of Prithvirajs generosity. But the end of Prithvirajs brilliant career was full of drama and
pathos. This powerful Hindu Emperor fell victim to a petty family feud between himself and
Jaichand Rathod, his father-in-law, who did not relish the procedure by which Prithviraj took away
his daughter, Samyukta, and married her. Individual or family feuds are, as a rule, a common
feature of human society everywhere, even outside this country. But they were not allowed to
assume a proportion that might prove detrimental to the interest of their community. These feuds
and bickering are easily forgotten and people again unite as one man to face a common danger if
and when it comes. People forget their quarrels, close their ranks and make it common cause to
invade the peoples of another race for the glory of their own race. How is that we Hindus alone
carry these feuds to such extent that the result is utterly disastrous for our own national wellbeing? Why do our petty feuds assume such a fatal fall? What is the wrong with our body politic? Let
alone a man in the street, even a responsible man of kingly status like Jaichand has no national or
racial consciousness that compels a man to place individual interests or personal honour in the
background, giving priority to national interest and honour. And hence, he was prepared to avenge
his daughters marriage without scruples. Jaichand could not imagine that by inviting a foreign
power to help him against Prithviraj, he was not harming Prithviraj but the very Hindu Nation itself.
Whatever his differences with Prithviraj, Jaichand should not have stooped down so low as to invite
the enemy of the Hindu Empire and culture to avenge the marriage of his daughter, a purely family
affair. He ought not have afforded an opportunity to a foreigner to intervene in the matters that
could have been settled or avenged in other ways that he could resort to. He could have dethroned
Prithviraj with the help of other Hindu Kings and replaced some other emperor, which would not
have ruined the Hindu empire. But he fell a victim to the intense passions of hatred and vengeance
and forged himself into a treacherous weapon into the hands of Ghouri and was rightly served.

Sovereignty of Nation Surrendered

Thus, Muslims, the foreigners, came to dominate this country by our own help and not by the
dint of their strength. We were suffering from an acute want of national feelings and hence we
were divided and torn among ourselves. How then could we possibly present a united front to
foreign aggression? Utter lack of this feeling of Hindu national solidarity caused and hastened our
downfall. A mere glance at our history of over thousands of years in the past will again and again
prove the truth of the contentions. If we have been throughout this period under one foreign
domination or other, we have to thank none else but ourselves. Whenever an effort was made to
throw this domination overboard, it was our own Hindu brethren that forestalled the effort. Again, I
should like to quote from history instances in support of my contentions. East India Company, as
you know, sent its agents here for the purpose of carrying on trade and commerce in the golden
land. Its directors in England had a keen and covetous eye upon the incalculable wealth of the
Hindus then. They were always clamouring for money, money and more money. It was, of course, an
ordinary private trading company without anything to do with the government. It was none of its
concerns to maintain large armies and conquer countries. But as the company wanted money it
raised armies to loot people and exploit the financial resources of the country.
The company collected money from us and raised the armies and then turned the same weapon
against us. How could it happen that an ordinary trading company could conquer this vast country
and dominate over its great and ancient people? It could happen because we were blind and
indifferent to the national danger that was steadily eating our vitals. Not only this, but there are
examples that many of our rich Hindus financed the nefarious activities of the company for their
personal gains without the thought of the fatal effect that their actions might produce upon the
nation and its people. All that these selfish factors got in the end was their own destruction. We
not only allowed the foreigners on this soil, but also helped them to dominate over us. We valued
personal interest and honour more than that of our country and people. Even our leading men did
not try to uphold the interest and honour of their country even at the cost of their own self and
their honour. Herein lies the root cause of our slavery and consequent downfall during the last one
thousand years. We, in fact, never lacked in armies and weapons of war that were always superior
to enemy forces. But ideas were totally perverted. Our indifference was so much that we never
bothered as to who ruled over us. We forgot to distinguish between a foreigner and a ruler of our
own race and culture. To us any king was a divine personality whatever race or religion he may
belong to. These false conceptions were ingrained in our blood and played havoc with our social
and national life.

Want of consciousness of fundamental

Hindu Unity

Foreign travelers have remarked off and again that the Hindus, though brave, are effeminate of
character. They cannot fight on their own initiative or for their own nation. Some French traveller
was of opinion that often a few thousand well-trained soldiers under an efficient commander could
easily overrun the whole of this vast sub-continent. Hindu could fight bravely but only when it was
a fight amongst themselves. But they could not present a united front to hurl back the foreign
invaders. The unbelievable historical fact about Bhaktyar Khilji that he went to conquer all Bengal
from Delhi with hardly eighteen horsemen speaks for itself.
And unfortunately these conditions are obtainable up to even today. We are never wanting in
learning, wealth and bravery. And yet, it was due, as I have said so often, to the want of the
consciousness of fundamental Hindu unity, the fact of our being one organic whole. We never
realized the secret of organized strength and hence we lost our freedom and peace though always
numerically superior to any invading force, for want of organized life. We had no use of our great
Hindu majority which otherwise could have been our unique asset. Do we not find that, even in
provinces where the Hindus are in overwhelming majority, Hindus live under a constant dread of a
handful of Muslims? Even a solitary Muslim goonda feels confident that he can terrorize the whole
Hindu population of a place. How pitiable and how shameful for a great people with a population of
thirty crores? Every Hindu feels that he is alone and single-handed though the truth is otherwise.
This feeling is responsible for the atmosphere of dread and cowardice prevalent in our midst. It has
made us wretched and degenerated to such an extent that we are not ashamed to connive at the
atrocities committed under our very nose just to save our skin. Not only that our elders do their
best to prevent the younger section from acquiring courageous attitude in this matter, they are
always discouraged from doing anything for the defence of their honour. It should be our effort
therefore, to fight out these unworthy and perverted ideas and replace them by healthy and proper
outlook, if we have to put a stop to our downfall.

The Ideal Incarnate

Doctor Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was born
in 1889 in Nagpur. From his early childhood until his very last, his life burned like a steady lamp in
the cause of the motherland. Even as a child of eight he threw away in disgust the sweets given to
him in his school on Queen Victoria's birthday saying that it was a sign of slavery. He amazed his
elders by his strange questions such as- "How is it that these Englishmen coming form thousands of
miles away have become our rulers?" When he was in high school he was rusticated for lighting the
flame of Vande Mataram movement among the students. He had, as it were, imbibed the spirit of
undiluted patriotism right from his mother's womb.

Rarity Among Rarities

After matriculating from Poona, he chose Calcutta, then the home of revolutionaries, with a
view to studying their movement at close quarters and participating in it. He soon became one with
the Bengalis in their life customs. He plunged into the inspiring political and social activities there
and soon became the inspiring centre of a band of patriotic young men drawn from all over the
country.
When he returned to Nagpur as a young and brilliant doctor, many eyes were riveted upon him
with fond hopes about the 'bright career' that awaited him. Many were the matrimonial approaches
made to him. But, his was not a life to be chained to the narrow confines of family. By way of a
final to all such proposals he wrote to his uncle Abaji Hedgewar, "I have pledged my life to an ideal.
I have staked my all at its altar. Where then shall I find time and energy to indulge in personal
pleasures and family life?"
Be it remembered, he was born in a family groveling in stark poverty. We may come across
persons born in affluence, who have no need to worry about their bellies or of their kith and kin,
coming out for national work, though, of course, even such instances are rare. But Doctorji was a
rarity among rarities. Though stark poverty and half-starvation was staring in the face, he never
thought of earning a single pie for himself or his family. He never practised though he was a doctor.
He preferred to become the 'Doctor of the nation'.

Like a Lamp
Right up to his very end, dire poverty remained his faithful companion. For months on end he
carried on with hardly one full meal a day. Many times he was in tattered clothes. He was ever
short of the barest necessities of life. One day, a gentleman called on Doctorji. As the conversation
was coming to a close, Doctorji requested him to stay for tea and sent word to his sister-in-law to
prepare tea. Some minutes passed; there was no tea. Some more minutes; still no tea came. The
gentleman was in a hurry to go. Doctorji went inside to find out what the matter was. And he found
nothing except cold water and his sister-in-law quietly sitting in a corner! There was no one else to
go to market and bring the necessary things. So Doctorji himself went out, brought sugar and tea,
and after a short while tea was served to the gentleman. That gentleman was shrewd enough to
understand the situation. Till then he had not the least scent of the monetary plight of Doctorji
though he was acquainted with him for a long time.

In fact, looking at the ever smiling face of Doctorji, his radiant enthusiasm, his infectious laughter,
his captivating manners, shedding sweetness and joy all-round, no one could imagine the
extremities under which he was living. He was like a lamp, which burns itself silently but sheds
warmth and light all-round.

Immediately after the incident, the gentleman sent for me and inquired in detail about
doctorji's monetary condition. He was shocked to know the abject state of affairs. He became
restless and angrily asked me, "Why have you not made arrangements to remove his financial
worries?" I replied, "How can 'Ekadashi' fill the belly of 'Shivaratri?' He became grave for a while and
told me, "I simply cannot stand this. You should accept twenty-five rupees every month from me at
least to meet the expenses for Doctorji's guests. But take care, let this not reach his ears!" I
suggested that he himself should propose it to Doctorji. But knowing as he did Doctorji's strong
views in the matter, he also did not dare broach the subject with Doctorji, and there the matter
rested.

An Adage Disproved
In addition to his burning idealism, he was a glowing example of the rarest of virtues - the will
to reform oneself in conformity with the chosen mission in life. He was born in a family known for
its violent and fiery temper. Doctorji too inherited that ancestral 'heritage' in full. It is stated that
inherited tendencies and habits die hard - Swabhavo duratikramah. The queer saying, "Man should
be careful in the choice of his parents", expresses the same idea. But all such self-weakening ideas
were proved false by Doctorji. Since the day he resolved to build an organisation, wherein people
of varied natures and qualities were to be blended into an organised and harmonious whole, he
decided to reform himself. Those who had seen him before were surprised to find him a completely
transformed man. After he founded the organisation rarely did anyone see him using a harsh word
or getting upset in the face of even the gravest provocation. If anybody spoke to him harshly he
would just smile and that would wear away the edge of opposition. Doubtless, his inner fire would
erupt sometimes - but that was when he used to find insults and ignominy heaped upon our nation
and people mutely submitting to all that.
Steadily and with stupendous self-effort Doctorji had transformed himself in every little detail
of his behaviour as a moving and living example of a worker dedicated to the mission of national
reorganisation based on the highest values of our cultural heritage. He had realised from his
experience that fiery public speeches, however thrilling for the moment, would never help to build
an enduring organisation of dedicated hearts, which will burn like a steady flame amidst all
tempests of temptations and adversities. On the contrary, such intemperate speeches would only
harm the organisation by inculcating, though unconsciously, a mentality of finding cheap
satisfaction in criticising and exposing one's opponents. Such a mentality could have no place in an
organisation of the type of the Sangh, which sought self-reformation in society, knowing as it did
the one lesson of our history that our people alone, and not outsiders, are responsible for our
degeneration and disaster.

Before the founding of the Sangh, Doctorji himself was a fiery speaker. In 1921, during the noncooperation movement, he was arrested for one such of his speeches. He was produced before the
court on the charge of sedition. After listening to his spirited defence in the court the magistrate
remarked, "His defence is more seditious than his speech!" But after the starting of the Sangh he
fully restrained his expressions. Thereafter his speeches, though charged with feeling and capable
of burning themselves into the heart of the listeners, were never provocative and violent. Even in
informal chitchat his words carried a wave of sweetness and appeal to the heart. He had known by
experience that sweetness of speech was a 'must' for a national organiser.

Yudhishthira Reborn
In all this transformation there was nothing artificial or superficial. It was so deep and enduring
that it became the very texture of his nature expressing itself spontaneously in thought, word and
action. His was not the 'long-distance popularity' which would vanish like a soap bubble on closer
contact and scrutiny. There is a saying, "No hero is a hero unto his own valet." But in his case, the
opposite was true; the more one came near him, the more would one love and adore him. His
character was the same in private as in public - one sweet harmonious whole. Such was his pure,
noble, radiant and transparent character that even those who opposed him in the public field had
not a word of reproach or abuse about his person.
There was a famous barrister in Nagpur by name Abhyankar, who was a leading political figure
of that province. He had a voice of thunder and a knack for picking holes in his opponents'
character. And he used these qualities in full measure during elections to expose and browbeat his
opponents. Once Dr. Moonje contested against him in elections. The barrister imagined that Dr.
Moonje had as one of his main supporters Doctorji and his Sangh. So he decided to attack Doctorji
and Sangh in his public speech. In his speech he directed his tirade against every supporter of Dr.
Moonje, but when he began referring to Doctorji his tone at once softened. He frankly confessed
that he would not find a single word by way of abuse against Dr. Hedgewar. Just imagine, such a
public confession amidst a virulent election campaign and from such a person!
In fact, Doctorji's relations even with his opponents went deeper than could be affected by any
superficial differences. Right from his Calcutta days he had cultivated an attitude of love and
regard and co-operation towards all persons and organisations devoted to the cause of national
emancipation-even those with whom he did not see eye to eye. Political jealousies found no place
in him. The flame of patriotism burning in his heart was too radiant to allow the shadows of
parochial considerations to fall anywhere near him.
Once a friend approached Doctorji in the night to urgently secure for him a loan of five
hundred rupees. It was nearing midnight and Doctorji was in a fix. Then he got up, went directly to

Sri Abhyankar and made a request. Without a word he brought the amount and handed it over to
Doctorji. Doctorji asked him for paper and pen so that he could write out a promissory note. Sri
Abhyankar replied, "Doctorsaheb, have I gone out of my senses that I should take a promissory note
from Dr. Hedgewar? All Nagpur would laugh at me!"
Such was the absolute faith and confidence that his sterling character had inspired even in the
minds of his public adversaries. He was like Yudhishthira who would address even Duryodhana as
Suyodhana. When the incredible news of Ashwathama spread in the battlefield, Drona decided to
verify its truth from Yudhishthira, his chief adversary! Such was his rectitude of conduct, which had
made others, his friends and foes alike, to trust him. Doctorji was, as it were, the modern
reincarnation of Yudhishthira. He was verily a man with no foes and only friends - an Ajatashatru.
Once, the Government of the then Central Provinces and Berar was seized with an
apprehension that the growing strength of the Sangh might prove a menace to the 'communal
peace' in the province. The Government sent out a circular in 1932 prohibiting its servants from
taking part in the activities of the Sangh. The municipalities and the district boards were also
advised to take similar steps. There was an uproar in the province at the thoughtless and antinational step of the Government. It found its echo in the Provincial Assembly also. A censure motion
against the Government was moved in the Assembly. And it was supported not only by the Hindu
members but also the Muslim, Christian, Parsi and all other members. It was preposterous, they all
asserted in one voice, to imagine that an organisation headed by Dr. Hedgewar could be against any
community. The ministry itself had to quit office shortly after that.

The Irresistible
This feature of his character had endowed him with such a rare power of personality that even
persons notorious for their arrogance and turbulence would behave in a decent and gentle manner
in the presence of Doctorji. There was a person in Nagpur who used to call himself a 'general', he
had taken a vow not to allow any meeting, which did not have him as the president, to go
undisturbed. The 'general' had an army of goondas, who would fall upon such an 'unauthorised'
meeting and within few minutes the meeting would end in confusion and chaos. During those days a
friend of Doctorji coming from outside was to address a meeting in Nagpur. But the promoters of
the meeting had apprehensions that the 'general' would not allow the meeting to go on. But
Doctorji's calm assurance gave them confidence and they arranged the meeting. As the meeting
commenced, the 'general' arrived with his 'army'. Seeing him coming, Doctorji rose and welcomed
him with great warmth and made him sit by his side. The speaker too was in his full spirits and
scathingly criticised the party to which the 'general' belonged. The 'general' was wild with rage,
throwing his glances here and there; but seeing the calm, confident and majestic figure of Doctorji

sitting just beside him, a cold shiver would pass through his body and he would sit back helplessly
in his chair. The meeting went on peacefully for over two hours. After the meeting was over his
followers pestered him with questions for keeping mum. He only replied, "What could I do? That
man was sitting beside me!"

Incomparable Unifier
What a mountain-load of anxieties and torments Doctorji must have been carrying in his bosom
to be able to hold together countless number of men, mould each one of them after the image of
an ideal national worker and set up enduring conventions and inspiring examples as basis for the
organised life of whole nation-and all this under extremely hard conditions of personal existence!
But the most amazing part was, no one could guess these deep undercurrents coursing through his
being. Whoever came in his contact would go back bathed in the fresh springs of joy and laughter
gushing forth from him. Various and diverse were the types of persons who invariably surrounded
him. His friends would jocularly say that Doctorji was maintaining a 'human zoo'! But no one in the
'zoo' felt himself out of tune while in the company of Doctorji. The young and the aged, the
orthodox and the modern, the educated and the uneducated, the rich and the poor would all find
in him a note of common interest. Such was his spirit of identification and the sweep of his
dexterity. To him no man, however low and deficient in the eyes of others, was worthless.

Self-Effaced
At the root of that exceptional quality lay the spirit of complete humility, unsullied by even the
least traces of ego. Infatuation for name or fame, position or power, never touched him. Right from
the inception of the Sangh, he was constantly on the look-out for a suitable person who could be
the head of the organisation. And he himself wanted to remain as his humble follower, thus setting
up a living example for all other workers. In fact, he made repeated efforts to bring in a great
Hindu leader as its chief, but in vain. That great man with all his other virtues could not grasp the
potentialities of the Sangh and make up his mind for that historic role. Doctorji was sorely
disappointed but he continued his search. He remained naturally the chief of the organisation on
the sheer merit of his virtues, like the lion, which is the natural king of the forest - swayameva
mrigendrata. But he could not till the very end reconcile himself to that position.
In spite of his towering height Doctorji never exhibited any airs. He would even restrain the
natural and spontaneous expressions of adoration for him by his co-workers and Swayamsevaks. He
was severely uncompromising in that regard. In 1940 he was returning to Nagpur after visiting the
training camp at Poona. I had gone to the Railway Station to receive him. As the train arrived we
found him standing at the entrance of the compartment, his face beaming with a smile. Just as I

advanced towards him to offer a garland, I met his stern forbidding glance. I stopped half-way with
my hands half-stretched. Immediately he smiled and remarked, "I am coming to my own home.
Where is the need for all this? In fact we should welcome our honoured guest." And he indicated the
gentleman who was accompanying him. I offered him that garland. I had no opportunity to garland
Doctorji all through his life. I could only garland his body after he had left us. He was equally
averse to being photographed. It was only rarely and after a prolonged tussle with his co-workers
that he would consent to his photograph being taken.
Though stern and unsparing to himself, what an ocean of love he was to each and every one of
us! Words fail to describe the depth of that pure and selfless love. The boundless affection of the
mother's heart, the sleepless care and diligence of the father and the inspiring guidance of the guru
found their culmination in that single bosom. I for one feel it my proud privilege to worship him as
my ideal. The worship of such a soul transcends the worship of an individual and becomes the
worship of the ideal itself. He is verily my chosen deity.

Philosophy of Action
Single-minded devotion, sterling character, matchless organisational skill, unflinching faith in
the ultimate success of the cause he had taken up as his life-mission and limitless capacity for
effort and exertion. His co-workers were torn with anxiety about his worsening health. Some
warned that his body would not last long if he continued in that strain. But he would reply to all
such queries in a simple sentence, "After all, my body is for the sake of work" and would close the
matter. He knew no rest or respite. His was the philosophy of action. He was for ceaseless and
intense action, especially during the days of the youth. "What is the use of resting during the days
of youth only to prolong one's life up to old age when the body becomes useless for any active
work?" he used to ask. If out of compulsion of his co-workers he consented for rest, he would not
rest without starting a few shakhas in and around that place!
In 1939 his illness became very acute. Doctors advised him complete rest. I was with him at
that time. Treatment was going on. Medicines were regularly given, but to no purpose. The doctor
who was treating him was perplexed. While checking the details of the treatment, he inquired at
what time Doctorji would go to sleep. I replied, "As usual at 1 or 1.30 in the night." The doctor was
shocked to hear that. He said, "That is why he is not improving. Probably you are not allowing him
to sleep early. He must go to bed by 10 o'clock." I confessed my inability to make him sleep so early.
The doctor said, "Well, if you cannot do it, I will myself come and do it." I welcomed his proposal.
That day the doctor came at 9 o'clock in the night. Doctorji had just taken his food and was alone
in his room. As it was not good to sleep immediately after taking food, the doctor began
chitchatting with Doctorji for a while. I was sitting outside all the while. When, however, the

doctor felt drowsy, and looked at his watch, it was past 1 o'clock! He got up hurriedly, instructed
Doctorji to sleep and came out. As he started out, I just enquired of him the time. In an apologetic
tone he said, "I forgot myself in talking!" and went away.

Offer Flower of Youth

Doctorji stuck to that practice even during his serious illness. He would call the workers at
night and talk to them singly or in groups till late in the night. All our efforts to dissuade him
proved futile before his grim resolve to expand the work at peak speed. Even the steel frame of his
body could not cope for long with his intensely dynamic spirit. Within fifteen years of the starting
of the organisation, his body was completely consumed by the fire of idealism. It was not that he
was unaware of the approaching end. In fact, he used to say, "I know quite well the nature of my
malady. I also know its remedy. But I have simply no time to spare for treatment. I do visualise its
result. But I cannot help it. God's will be done."
Just as a yogi finds fulfillment in offering himself as an oblation in the fire of yoga manifested
in his body, so did Doctorji offer his body in the fire of suffering and sacrifice. That has been our
glorious tradition. But today we often hear that we should not exert ourselves too much in our
younger days lest our lifetime be cut short. Doctorji ridiculed this advice of wasting the precious
moments of youth only to drag on in old age for some more years. One should in fact offer oneself
at the altar of the Mother when the flower of youth is in full bloom shedding fragrance and
radiance all-round. It would be a sacrilege to offer a faded flower devoid of colour and odour in the
worship on one's chosen deity. This was his concept of fruitfulness of human life; this was how he
lived and this was how he died.

Living and Dying

His was not an ordinary death. It was a steady and consuming fire stretched over the entire
period of his youth. There are some, who sacrifice their lives in a flash of martyrdom. True, that is
also glorious and inspiring. But to burn oneself every moment of one's life in order to light up
countless other hearts is a tapasya of the highest order. Like Shibi of the olden days Doctorji cut his
own flesh bit by bit in order to protect the 'dove' of society. Like Dadhichi, who gave his bones to be
forged into a deadly weapon to slay the demon Vritasura, Doctorji too smilingly transfused his lifeblood to society till the last drop. That was how Shankaracharya died at the age of thirty-two,
Vivekananda at thirty-nine and Shivaji at fifty. Doctorji too died at fifty. And it is they who live
eternally!

How Words Derive Power

Words get charged with irresistible power when uttered by such souls. Doctorji's words used to
be very simple - as if he was speaking to a child. But what a force they carried! Once Dr. Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee of revered memory came to see Doctorji with a desire to discuss a serious
problem with him. At that time Doctorji was too ill - and that was to be his last illness - to engage
himself in a long discussion. So I requested Dr. Mukherjee to have a preliminary talk over the
subject with me and if anything remained he could go to Doctorji for a final answer. He agreed. We
had a prolonged discussion. And although each one of his queries and doubts was answered, still he
remained unsatisfied. So we went to Doctorji, he put the same question to Doctorji. And Doctorji
replied in a few words, conveying the same answer as I had given. But to my astonishment I heard
Dr. Mukherjee say, "Now I am completely satisfied." That incident gave me the lesson of my life that
it was the character, the penance, the sacrifices of a person that impart power to his words.
Arguments, discussions, flashes of intellect, all pale into dismal dimness before that supreme
power.

A Child of Greatness
Excelling though in all that go to make an epoch-maker, he remained all through his life like a
child-simple, unassuming, without any airs, speaking to one and all in a spirit of intimacy, laughing,
joking and appreciating the smallest of virtues in others.
Once in a weekly meeting of some advocates in the Sangh, several issues connected with the
organisation were being discussed in a free and informal manner - someone mooting a query
regarding the future set-up of the Sangh, some one else suggesting the formation of a formal
central committee and so on. Then abruptly one of them posed the question, "What, after all, is at
the root of the Sangh?" "Well, it is Doctorsaheb", I simply said. An old gentleman was present in the
meeting who had known Doctorji form his boyhood. Doctorji would often go to him seeking his
suggestions and guidance. Obviously he was deeply moved to hear my words regarding Doctorji. He
was surprised to find that all of a sudden the 'boy Keshav' had grown to such heights. A flash of new
realisation, as it were, dawned upon him. After the meeting he went to Doctorji and remarked
affectionately, "Doctor, how great you have become! All the while I was imagining you as the same
old lad Keshav!"
The greatest of men grace the world stage often cast that spell to make others unaware of
their greatness, so that they may not shirk and shudder at their greatness, but come and freely mix
with them in a spirit of comradeship. Sri Krishna by his childish pranks had cast a spell over all in
the Gokula. No one, not even Yashoda, would remember that he was God Incarnate Himself. Once
when he was reported to have eaten dust and Yashoda forced him to open his mouth, she saw
illimitable universes dancing in that little cavity. She was shocked and dumbfounded. But that was

only for the moment. The same old smiling, mischievous, teasing pranks of the child Krishna made
her forget that fleeting realisation.
Doctorji's disarming simplicity had cast a similar spell upon all those who came near him, even
his nearest friends and co-workers. It was only rarely that they would remember, as if in a flash,
that they were in the company of a great soul of unsurpassable majesty born but once in centuries
for the redemption of the people. And they would be surprised and even shocked at the free and
almost equal way in which they mixed with him, sometimes even taking liberties with him! But that
was all for a moment. Again the simple, smiling figure of Doctorji would cast its spell and they
would forget all about it.
Such was our Doctorji, the founder of the Sangh, the Hindu ideal of man in flesh and blood, the
embodiment of the saying, (The great ones achieve great tasks
not because of external aids but by their intrinsic merit), a Guiding Light for all generations to
fashion their lives in its effulgence for glorious and immortal national life.
----------------------------------------------

Compiled from the speech of Sri Guruji at the 3rd year Sangh Siksha Varg in Nagpur

Shri Guruji's Thoughts on Economics

In his speeches at the Thana Meet 1973, which constitutes his Magnum Opus, Shri Guruji
explained the basic Hindu view on economic problems. Deductions that naturally flow his
enunciation are as follows:
1. The basic requirements of life must be made available to every citizen.
2. Material wealth is to be acquired, so that we can serve God in the form of society, in the
best possible manner, and out of all that wealth, only the minimum should be used for
selfsake the denial of which will hamper out capacity for service. To claim or to make
personal use of more than that is verily the act of theft against the society:

3. Thus we are only the trustees of the society. It is only when we become true trustees
that we can serve the society best.
4. Consequently, there must be some ceiling on the individual accumulation, and no person
has a right to exploit someone elses labour for personal profit.
5. Vulgar, ostentatious and wasteful expenditure is a sin when millions are starving. There
must be reasonable restrictions on all consumption. Consumerism is not compatible
with the spirit of the Hindu culture.
6. Maximum production and equitable distribution should be our motto; national selfreliance, our immediate goal.
7. The problem of unemployment and under-employment must be tackled on war-footing.
8. While industrialisation is a must, it need not be the blind imitation of the West. Nature is
to be milked and not raped. Ecological factors, balance of nature and the requirements
of the future generations should also be taken into account. There should be an
integrated thinking on Ecology, Economics and Ethics.
9. Greater stress should be laid on the labour intensive rather than capital-intensive
industries.
10. Our technologists should be required to introduce, for the benefit of the artisans,
reasonably adaptable changes in the traditional techniques of production, without
incurring the risk of increase in unemployment of workers, wastage of available
managerial and technical skills, and complete decapitalisation of the existing means of
production, and to evolve our own indigenous technology with great emphasis on
decentralization of the processes of production with the help of power, with home
instead of factory, as a centre of production.
11. It is necessary to reconcile efficiency with employment expansion.
12. Labour is also one form of capital in every industry. The labour of every worker should be
evaluated in terms of share, and workers raised to the status of shareholders
contributing labour as their share.
13. Consumers interest is the nearest economic equivalent of national interest. Society is
the third, and more important party to all industrial relations. The current Western
concept of collective bargaining is not consistent with this view. It should be replaced

by some other terms such as, National Commitment i.e. the commitment of both the
employers and employees to the Nation.
14. The surplus value of labour belongs to the Nation.
15. There need not be any rigidity about the patterns of industrial ownerships. There are
various patterns, such as, private enterprise, nationalization, co-operation,
municipalisation, democratization, self-employment, joint-industry etc. For each
industry the pattern of ownership should be determined in the light of its peculiar
characteristics and total requirement of the national economy.
16. We are free to evolve any variety of socio-economic order provided it is in keeping with
the basic tenets of Dharma.
17. But changes in the superstructure of society will be of no use if the mind of every citizen
is not moulded properly. Indeed, the system works ill or well according to the men who
work it out.
18. Our view of the relation between individual and society has always been, not one of
conflict, but of harmony and co-operation, born out of consciousness of a single reality
running through all the individuals. The individual is a living limb of the corporate social
personality.
19. The Sanskaras of identification with the entire Nation constitutes the real social infrastructure of any socio-economic order.

Bharat's contribution to the World

History has recorded that it is in this land alone that, right from the hoary times, generation
after generation of thinkers and philosophers, seers and sages rose to unravel the mysteries of
human nature, dived deep into the world of Spirit and discovered and perfected the science of
realization of that Great Unifying Principle. The penance and sacrifice and experience of hundreds
of centuries of a whole nation is there as the inexhaustible fountain-head of this knowledge to
assuage the spiritual thirst of the world.
The outside world, on the other hand, did not take to the study of this science of Spirit. Even
to this day, they have remained extroverts habituated to study the outer world through their
senses. The senses too go outward and as such they cannot lead to the vision of the inward nature.
The Westerners, therefore, have remained ignorant of the knowledge and experience of the world
of Spirit however much they might have unraveled the mysteries of the world of matter. Our

ancestors who, on the other hand, crossed to realms beyond the senses could see within and have a
glimpse of that glorious Inner Reality.
- Shri. Guruji M. S. Golwalkar.

Teachings of Rig Veda

The oldest and the supreme scripture of ours is Rig Veda. It sums up by giving certain specific
directions to the people to live a corporate, organized and glorious life. It says: Our minds should
be one, our thoughts should be similar, and we should help one another and bring prosperity and
happiness.
- Shri. Guruji M. S. Golwalkar.

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BJP Office Builds Digital Library,

RSS Distributes Sangh Literature
All India | Written by Rahul Shrivastava | Updated: February 06, 2016

BJP president Amit Shah inaugurated digital library at party's headquarters in Delhi.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday simultaneously launched
two firsts.

Amit Shah began his fresh term as the BJP president with inauguration of
the party's first ever library at its headquarters. The RSS launched an
exercise to spread awareness on Sangh's ideology by distributing books to
Delhi University students.
Mr Shah inaugurated a state-of-the-art library at party's Ashoka Road
headquarters in Delhi. The library, spread over 3,000 square feet, has
2,000 books and as many digital books, besides subscription to around
100 national and international journals.
Party secretary Shrikant Sharma told NDTV that the selection of the books
for the library emulates the policy followed in the Oxford University. "The
library will become a pit stop for all the ideological material and things of
historical significance such as party resolutions and literature on the party
ideologues," Mr Sharma said.
Party general secretary and library in-charge Arun Singh said, "It was the
party president's idea to start a facility that can push party workers and
activists towards more in-depth knowledge about the party, it's history,
the pantheon of party greats, ideology and stand on current topics."

The library is located at the party's headquarters in New Delhi (File Photo)

The e-library section will have large number of books including those on
party's history and ideological literature.
x

Mr Sharma said that the BJP plans to start such libraries in all state
capitals and districts. "The BJP office bearers and active members will be
given library cards. The libraries all over the country will be linked to the

central office so that a worker in the remotest corner of the country can
access the content online," he added.
The next step will be to provide a user name and unique password to all
the members so that they can access the libraries online.
Meanwhile, the RSS put up a stall in Delhi University's North Campus,
distributing books on its history and founders.
"RSS activists will soon be seen at crossings in Delhi and other towns
distributing books and other material highlighting the Sangh's ideology,
it's stand on crucial issues including those about which there is a
perception that Sangh is intolerant to a plural India," a senior RSS activist
said.
The exercise will be soon be carried out in towns all over the country.
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How big and powerful is the RSS? (Rashtriya Swayamsevak

Sangh) How much control do they have over politics, state
and national affairs?
18 Answers

Dibyajyoti Mohapatra, Truth has only one version!

96.5k Views Dibyajyoti has 30+ answers in Politics of India

I had been associated with RSS for over 4 years(2000-2004) and I have closely observed
all kinds of activities that happens in the organization.
RSS is BIG in the sense it has presence all over India - almost all cities and a LOT of
villages if not all. How powerful depends on what is your definition of power. All the
members(called Swayam Sevaks) stand united like a part of family.
First of all RSS is nothing about politics contrary to what the media industry makes you
believe. RSS was there before BJP or Jan Sangh. In fact RSS is the parent body of many

organizations working in various fields known as "the Sangh Parviar"

Before going into RSS-BJP relationship, let me tell you the main objective of RSS. It's
dead simple:
"Create disciplined, responsible and patriotic citizens"
Now one fine day some number of responsible patriotic citizens try to create a forum,
take advise from the senior members and it becomes an independent organization,
under the Sangh Parivar. The organizations grow according to their respective goals and
include related people from the society. There are numerous organizations under Sangh
Parivar and BJP is one of them. Check the below link.
Sangh Parivar
The relationship:
RSS works as a mentor to these organizations and periodically(usually few times in a
year) there is a meeting with the RSS Karyakarini(The working committee) regarding
updates about their work or seeking advice about various things. I have myself witnessed
such events.
There could also be sub organizations of a child organization(such as VHP) which has
multiple sub-organizations under them(Bajrang Dal being one of them). They all report
to their respective parents, never report to RSS.
BJP is just an political outfit created by swayamsevaks to bring in change in politics. So
yes few times in a year(usually once or twice) there's a meeting between RSS & BJP.
Also, many prominent BJP leaders are Swayamsevaks so they meet people in RSS whom
they've known for years! This does not imply RSS is into politics. Despite several
clarifications media people never seem to understand this.
This is my first hand account being a swayamsevak. Whether to believe or not is your
choice. I can accurately respond to any doubts/questions/allegations that are raised
against RSS.
Most of the time it is the impression created by media and lack of correct information
makes people say things against RSS. Some people who hold a positive view think RSS
does "social service - helping poor, educating children, tribals, providing relief in
disasters". Those who hold a negative view think all RSS is doing is conspiring against
Muslims and Christians in the country.
However, both are wrong. Social service is not RSS's job. RSS creates good people who
are responsible for society. So when there's a disaster it is a natural human instinct to

help the affected, to help the poor, to educate people. RSS just creates the difference that
while most of us stay locked indoors, the swayamsevaks are inspired to reach out to help
the poor. For the RSS haters - all I can say is you are welcome to join RSS and see for
yourself. If they speak about Muslims - it is about the islamic terrorism they speak of. If
they speak about Christians it is the "forceful/trickful conversion by missionaries" they
talk of. They talk about anti-national activities, not about religion or community. RSS
does NOT discriminate based on religion or caste.
Did you know the below facts about RSS?

There's no formal membership in RSS. You will never ever have to fillup a form. By default every citizen(male) of this country of any age group are
members of RSS! There's a separate wing for women.
RSS does not accept donations. Such a big organization runs on money given
by swayamsevaks on "Guru Purnima" as "Guru Dakshina". Yes, only once in
a year to be given anonymously according to one's own capacity.
No person is ever worshiped in RSS. It's the Motherland "Bharat Mata"
whom they worship.
The "Guru" mentioned above is the "Bhagva Dhwaj"(The saffron flag) which
is a symbol of the cultural heritage of this country and thus inspirational as a
Guru.
There are thousands of people working as "pracharaks" who live a renounced
life and their only goal in life is to serve the nation.

Note: I have answered the question while giving little bit insight into the organizational
structure and few facts that I have learned from my association with Sangh, but this
information is incomplete. Knowing RSS is very difficult unless you're a part of it. No
book, no article or media will ever be able to convey what RSS actually is. It's more
sacred than you can ever imagine!
UPDATE:
Thanks to everyone who found this article informative, up-voted and promoted. I guess
most answers in Quora about RSS are not based on direct experience. There are few
good question I've received in comments and answered. I would like to post them here
as well.
1. If there's no formal membership in RSS, is it like they can never be held
accountable for anything? Why can't they have an official structure in the
organisation which is more transparent?
It is wrong to assume that there is no official structure in the organisation. In fact the
organisation is extremely well structured and there are positions and responsibilities
that are officially assigned to people based on their dedication and capability. So there

are always people who are accountable for their actions. But the point was there is no
membership. If you wish you can join a shakha today(where the only thing they do is
some physical excercise, some traditional games like Kabbaddi and some nationoriented discussion followed by prayer to Motherland) and your membership starts
there. The more regular you are and the more dedicated you are will determine whether
you'll be assigned any more responsibility in the organisation or not. At the ground level
some senior/elder/mentor will give you the responsibility of taking care of one shakha by
being a "Mukhya Sikshak" or "Karyavaha". At the higher level, everything is done via
democratic way. Yes there is proper democracy inside Sangh and people are elected for
district/state/national level positions. The only exception is the top most position "Sar
Sangh Chalak" who decides his successor.
About selection of the Sar Sangh Chalak:
RSS is a social-cultural-paramilitary organisation. Democracy takes care of the social
part and the positions upto Sar-Karyavah. The cultural part take care of the apex
position where only the Sar Sangh Chalak decides who's his successor. This is more like
how a Seer or Guru decides who's the successor of their Ashram or Mutt.
2. Does RSS support BJP getting black money as funds? If not have they ever
raised voice against the same? And what about the anonymous contribution
RSS gets once in a year?
This question made me smile :). I remember a total collection of about Rs. 1400/- one
year from one Shakha(about 15-20 members).
Before getting into the source, lets discuss where does RSS spend money. As per my
knowledge, these are the areas:
i. Travel expenses of the pracharaks in the minimal way. Pracharaks are full timers who
leave their homes and work for Sangh full time(some work life time, some for few years).
They live a very austere lifestyle and generally travel a lot. They travel via public
transport(bus, train) and try their best not to waste a single rupee unless necessary. For
example no RSS pracharak would hire an auto or taxi from the train station to some
destination in the city. They would rather walk, take a lift or take the cheapest mode like
city bus/shared auto. You'll be surprised that they prefer fasting to eating outside(unless
extreme situations) for saving money and would eat only at someone's house.
ii. Office expenditure - there's an office in almost every city and there are always bills
that need to be paid. But nothing high profile. In 2004 there was only one four wheeler
and one bike in a state's head office where I had been many times. All pracharaks/office
bearers use bicycles for local convenience.
iii. While I am not sure about this one - there might be some expenditure in organizing
events such as public meeting of some top level leader such as The Sar Sangh Chalak. But

these are not frequent.

iv. There are some internal publications/books which are usually sold at the price which
covers publishing costs - it's no profit no loss kind of situation.
Apart from the above(or maybe one or two such points that I have missed) there are no
other way RSS spends money. When there's some calamity the swayam sevaks collect
funds from among themselves or from whatever local sources they can and go for help.
Most of the time it's the physical help that's more necessary than monetary.
So the point I'm trying to make is with whatever little money that comes in is spent in
these ways. Why would someone donate big amounts anonymously when it doesn't help
any personal interest of anyone and when there's absolutely no propaganda behind any
of the RSS work?
On the other hand, being a disciplined organization the accounts are maintained very
neatly and transparently. Appropriate declarations(as required by the government) are
done on timely basis. I've seen this part myself being close to someone from the State
Karyalaya who handled accounts.
Now about the raising voice part:
i. RSS absolutely doesn't interfere in BJP's internal matters. As I've said earlier, they only
*advise* them when necessary.
ii. Also, RSS is not any media/watchdog/whistle-blower organisation. They
don't investigate or expose things. They stick to their basic work, plain and simple.
iii. The statement "BJP getting black money as funds" is vague and opinionated. Why
RSS isn't doing anything about it is similar to saying why not anyone in the
country doing anything about it? There are better machinery in place for the same, isn't
it?

3. If RSS doesn't discriminate based on religion or caste, then why do we see

a lot of RSS people asking people to vote for BJP in the name of Hindutva?
Good question. No, I'm not denying it. However there's no provision/assignment in RSS
that makes anyone associated with RSS to ask people for voting. If someone is doing it it is personal. There's absolutely no reason why he would be stopped from doing the
same as well. After all he belongs to the society like you and me and we have our rights to
say our words. Nothing official, I can assure you.
Based on Hindutva: In RSS you'll hear the word "Hindu" and "Hindutva" very often.
However it is a mistake that the outsiders/media make by misinterpreting the words
according to their own prejudice. The term "Hindutva" was first coined by Veer Savarkar

who was an atheist by himself. He had written a small pamphlet named "Hindutva - Who
is Hindu?" Let me share the link for the same:
hindutva-vinayak-damodar-savarkar-pdf : Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. : Free Download
& Streaming : Internet Archive
or this
Page on savarkar.org
He did this few years before RSS was founded(RSS was founded in 1925) and the terms
are clearly defined. It's everything related to the land and culture than any god or
religion. So when RSS says Hindu, they mean Hindu as in "Hindustani" not anything
else. Did you know in the Arab, Indian Muslims are sometimes called as "Hindu
Muslims"?
By the way, during my association of 4 years, I was never ever asked to vote for any
political party by anyone in the RSS.
4. Has RSS ever even opposed to unlawful acts by Ram Sena & Bajrang Dal??
Remember how Sri Ram Sena cadres had beaten up young girls in
Mangalore and even teared their clothes. Is this how you want to promote
Indian tradition?
Quick answer - Check this link: Page on archive.today
I hope the link clears this doubt of yours. RSS does not send people to beat up couples on
V-day, rather they have condemned it strongly and even recommended banning Ram
Sena. Bajrang dal belongs to the Sangh parivar but it is under VHP, not RSS. As per my
knowledge Bajrang dal doesn't do things like Ram Sene. There have been certain
unlawful activities by them and they've been punished by the court.
The problem is the widespread perception created by media to make us see all right
wingers under one roof.
Finally, remember that there's nothing above the constitution of India and despite
several deliberate attempts by the Congress govt over 50 years(along with 3 time
banning), no court have ever found anything wrong on RSS side and have always lifted
the ban unconditionally after all the investigations. You got to believe the Supreme Court
right?
Updated 17 Dec 2014 View Upvotes

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: Isn't rss too much conservative, I mean their
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Anonymous
8.1k Views

The RSS (headquarters in Nagpur and a main office in Pune) is currently 21 million
strong in India and has a presence in almost every taluk - which is a subdivision of a
district; a group of several villages organized for revenue purposes - of India.
The shakha is the backbone of the RSS and HSS. It is a daily gathering ofswayamsevaks,
which is held in an open ground for an hour either in the morning or in the evening
They conduct their shakas on a daily basis and maha shakhas on a yearly basis without
fail and indoctrinate the cadets in a very comprehensive manner about Indias future role
in the entire subcontinent.
I come from a fairly affluent English family from Leeds which has always voted for the
Labor Party and was a Center-left leaning liberal till the following incident shocked a lot
of us Britons to the core: Murder of Lee Rigby

As a Briton who is concerned about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and a supporter
of Brexit, I wanted to study the RSS in India and consequently I am writing this article
for Quora during the second year of my Indian sojourn.
I have been a keen observer of the RSS since 2014 when Mr Narendra Modi came to
power in India.
Originally, the RSS was a loose and amorphous organization with no records on
membership, but now membership fees are expected and paid without fail from high
ranking members and many industrialists who secretly support it and the RSS has
membership from every strata and every age group of Indian society.
There are Indians who are CEOs, Managers, IT engineers, School teachers and College
Professors, Bank Employees, Ex-Army and Police men, Farmers, Construction workers,
Railway engineers, Mechanics, Medical Doctors, Students, Newspaper editors,
Unemployed Youth, Hotel owners and Traders who are members of the RSS and they all
wear the same uniform, drill in the same manner and attend the Shaka and cook their
meals and eat in a big group and sleep in tents during the Maha Shaka.
The RSS is almost 67 % Hindu upper-caste dominated with the remaining Hindus
coming from backward castes but being groomed with an upper caste mentality.
There are however no caste feelings among members and everybody is treated with equal
respect and camaraderie. They were especially very cordial and nice to me - a foreigner
with no exposure to Indian customs and practices.
Most upper caste Hindu norms like a stress on vegetarian meals during the Shakas and
Yoga group exercises early in the morning and commands in Sanskrit are practised
during the Shakas.
They have a Masters of the Entire Indian subcontinent mentality which is
imparted to all cadres irrespective of their backgrounds through thorough

indoctrination. The RSS tends to see Indian history and the world from a purely Hindu
viewpoint.
I do not dispute their version of history which basically can be summarized in the
following paragraph:
This summary is from the personal notes I took when one of the Pracharaks or
(Professional Lecturers of the RSS) was lecturing to a group of 10,000 RSS cadres who
were all seated cross legged, listening in rapt attention to what he was saying:
The Hindus are the original peoples of the subcontinent who had a powerful
civilization with a lot of ideas and innovations which reached the farthest
parts of Asia like Afghanistan, South East Asia, China and Japan.
The coming of Islam caused a massive dent to the continuity of this and led
to the violent conquest of their lands starting with Afghanistan and Sindh
and its rulers changed to those who followed Mohammedanism. During the
period of Mohammedan rule, Hindu achievements were eclipsed, Hindus
suffered a lot of persecution and there were forced conversions which
turned certain parts of India into Muslim majority regions: Chiefly the
regions which underwent this demographic change constitute West
Pakistan, Eastern Bengal and Kashmir.
Thus the footprint of the Hindu peoples has shrunk considerably from what
was originally a larger, more powerful, influential and prosperous Indian
realm.
The advent of British colonial rule defined the frontiers of India, introduced
to the Indian people, the Western ideas of forming a nation state with its
institutions, civic bodies and organs and gave them a recognition of their
innate strengths and a forged a sense of unity among all Indians during the
fight for freedom against the British Raj.
However, this unity could not be preserved due to the mentality of the
Muslims who partitioned India and also ethnically cleansed all non-Muslims
from the new state of Pakistan created from the Muslim majority regions of
the country.
Hindus in India did not ethnically cleanse the Hindu-majority regions which
formed the republic of India of all Muslims but were very broadminded and
accepting of peoples of different faiths and ideas.
This attitude has put Hindus in India at a disadvantage when fighting
Islamic fundamentalists who are always supported by the Marxist-LiberalLeft leaning intelligentsia in the country. These Liberal-Left leaning English

speaking intelligentsia are a byproduct of British rule and cannot see Indian
history in a correct manner and nor can they relate to Indian geopolitical
aspirations. They are quick to soundly condemn Indias attempt to assert its
territorial integrity using the strongest terms,
The Islamic Fundamentalists with their base in Pakistan are waging a
relentless war of extermination against India since 1965. If the current
generation of Indians show any weakness in resisting the onslaught of
Islamic fundamentalism, then generations to come will fall once again
under their tyranny and curse the present generation of Hindus for failing
for a second time in their history, to preserve their identity, culture and
realm.
If the current generation of Indians can fight this threat to a standstill and
destroy it totally, then the future of India and the Indian people will be
secure for at least the next thousand years.
It is therefore the duty of the Hindus to recognize their plight before it is too
late and forge a powerful and united front against all attempts to further
cleave India along religious or social lines and the Unity and Integrity of
India is sacrosanct and should be preserved at all costs.
The Hindus in India, need to develop their own powerful and meaningful
Weltanschauung which is suited to the situations the world and India are
currently experiencing and need to organize and train themselves
accordingly to surmount any future challenges and threats they may face in
nation building.
India just cannot afford to lose anymore territory, power or influence in the
region and cannot allow itself to be bullied by countries like China or
Pakistan which covet more Indian territory and have national policies,
ideologies and systems in place which are avowedly anti-India and antidemocratic.
The Pracharak from the RSS unit in Pune spent almost a whole day with me discussing
geopolitics It was close to ten hours of non-stop conversation with huge Glossy maps
of the Indian subcontinent laid out on a huge marble table in front of us interrupting
our conversation with snacks of Chai, Lassi and Samosas. He went further to quote to me
the words of the Viceroy of India at the turn of the last century (6 January 1899 18
November 1905) Lord Curzon, who wrote the following paragraph in his essay
The Place of India in The Empire as well as in the future,
It is obvious, indeed, that the master of India, must, under modern conditions, be the
greatest power in the Asiatic Continent, and therefore, it may be added, in the world.

The central position of India, its magnificent resources, its teeming multitude of men,
its great trading harbors, its immense reserves of skilled labour and military strength,
supplying an army always in the highest state of efficiency and capable of being hurled
at a moments notice upon any given point either of Asia and Africa- all these are
assets of precious values. In the west, India must exercise a predominant influence over
the destinies of Persia and Afghanistan; in the north, it can veto any rival in Tibet; on
the north-east and east, it can exert great pressure upon China, and it is one of the
guardians of the autonomous existence of Siam. On the high seas it commands the
routes to Australia and the China Sea.
The RSS is very bitter with Nehru , his descendants and minions for negating and not
availing of any these opportunities while at the same time chaining Indias foreign policy
as well as economy to his totally emasculating and shortsighted Pacifistic and Socialistic
ideals.
After Indias independence, Indians were the masters of India and most of South Asia
till they squandered many strategic opportunities. Nehru instead of vetoing the Chinese
in Tibet, talked about peaceful co-existence even after China brutally invaded Tibet in
1949. He did not effectively repel the Chinese invasion of India in the North East and
Aksai Chin.
Indian policy makers were never proactive in issues relating the defense of India and its
policy towards the East Asia and it is only recently that India is countering Chinas
influence in Myanmar and South East Asia.
When it comes to exercising a predominant influence over the destinies of Persia and
Afghanistan , India never had a chance to do that because in 1947, India was
partitioned and Pakistan was created, which blocked Indias direct access to
Afghanistan and Persia. This is precisely what is wrong with Indias
geography.
While the Indian Subcontinent makes perfect geographical sense and India occupies a
continental proportion of the lands in it, Indias own geography is not perfect. While it
has the highest mountain range in the world to its north, the Indian Ocean to its south,
dense jungles on its eastern border, its borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh dont
make any geographical sense at all. While both the borders with Pakistan and
Bangladesh cuts across two prominent states Punjab and Bengal without any
geographical barriers, in the case of Pakistan, India also has to contend with a nuclear
armed rival within its own geography its own realm.
The Creation of Pakistan divided the most prominent plains in Northern India into two.
Thus there are no natural geographical barriers between India and Pakistan. The people
on both sides of the border share the same culture, languages and origins but are divided
by an artificial boundary created due to religious fanaticism. The presence of a hostile

Pakistan blocks India in its own geographical backyard, has caused a bitter insurgency in
Indias Northernmost state and seriously hampers Indias capacity of projecting power
outside South Asia, which in turn has a direct bearing on Indias great power aspirations.
The region of Pakistan and Afghanistan make a very smooth geographical transition into
Central Asia and West Asia, as such this region has the potential to work as a conduit of
land based trade from the west, which may grow in hundreds of Billions if India, with its
huge Economy, can initiate land based trade through the region of Pakistan. Throughout
history every major kingdom in the north western India and every pan Indian Empire
had both Indus and the Gangetic plains within its border. The Kushanas, the Mauryas,
the Guptas, the Delhi sultanate and the Mughals and the British had both the Indus and
Ganges river systems with their realm - Not so the Republic of India.
This facilitated trade with the central and west Asia as the western frontiers of South
Asia were linked to the heartland of South Asia.
In the present time due to the presence of a hostile Pakistan, Indias access to
strategically important central Asia or, in other words, the center of Mackinders
strategically important Heartland is cut off. India tried to out-maneuver this
geographical bottleneck by building an airfield in Tajikistan and by linking the port of
Chabahar in Iran with Afghanistan through road.
However, these measures can only partly mitigate the disadvantages that India faces
when it comes to projecting its influence and power throughout Central and West Asia.
As India cannot afford to be locked-up within South Asia forever, especially with China
making deep inroads into the heartlands of Mackinder as well as in the Strategic Indian
Ocean region, a better understanding of geo-strategic implications and impediments has
to be ingrained into the foreign policy to remove or outmaneuver the artificial roadblock
to its western border.
Geography was wronged in 1947 when Indian Subcontinent was partitioned without any
geographical sense. Geographical logic would be established only when all the regions of
South Asia are well connected and integrated with each other in a seamless manner. It is
India which should lead this endeavor and remove the geographical roadblocks that it
faces to the west which could bring about an era of regional integration in South Asia.
Geography, ethnic characteristics and history by themselves do not determine the events
of the future but they have profound influence on the human endeavors and thereby they
shape future geopolitical events.
Understanding geographical implications and their significance for the Indias Pakistan
policy in the 21st century will go a long way in chalking out successful strategies to not
only strengthen Indias geopolitical position in South Asia but also contribute to the
economic and political stability of the region.

Refer to: The Geographical Pivot of History for more details about this.
**
Now that we have covered geopolitics, let us move on to other things.
The RSS cadres today are seen to be wearing archaic uniforms and parading around with
their bamboo staves.
All that is surely changing after 2014. Nowadays, they are switching to camouflage
fatigues, ankle high boots and travel in a large number of vehicles: mostly bicycles,
motorcycles, jeeps and Maruti Gypsy vehicles.
Very soon they may even receive military and firearms training.
There is a now a greater emphasis on strenuous physical training including, trekking in
the Western Ghats, rappelling down cliffs, going on day long hikes, swimming, various
kinds of competitive sports, military drills and hands on experience for members to be IT
and computer networking experts and being computer savvy, being expert mechanics repairing vehicles of all kinds, building low cost housing, electrifying villages using solar
power, digging irrigation ditches, helping farmers in distress and cooking and serving
food for large groups of needy peoples.
There is another development taking place within the RSS - a new branch is being
created out of the RSS called the SS - Surakhsha Sena. The SS is tasked with wiping
out the influence of the Leftist intelligentsia in India in a comprehensive manner. It is
composed of the most fanatically motivated and organizationally skilled members of the
parent organization - the RSS who in turn attract more members with every passing
year.
SS cadres are all physically fit and tall male Hindu men in the best condition, in the 22
29 year old age group and this organization numbers 14 million right now.
The extent of control they have over state politics and national affairs is purely in terms
of foreign policy and economical models they prefer the States and Center to pursue :
(Capitalism, Autarky in some key areas like agriculture and milk production,
Entrepreneurship and Indias look East policy for economic partnerships). This control
will soon extend to other areas like education and re-writing Indian history from a nonMarxist point of view.
The RSS advocates a very hard-line approach towards Islamic-Fundamentalists,
Terrorists and Maoists who are sponsored by Pakistan and China.

The current Prime-Minister of India, who comes from an RSS background as well as his
his home minister Rajnath Singh who has been associated with the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh since 1964, at the age of 13, pursue these policies will full vigor.

Ban

Sri

June

Ram

16,

2011

PTI

Disassociating itself from the Sri Ram Sena, whose acts of moral policing in Mangalore evoked nationwide indignation, the
it
and
said
it
had
no
objection
if
the
Government
dec
RSS considers attacks on humans as heinous crime. We do not have any objection if the Government decides to ban
Narahari

told

press

There is no relationship between RSS and Sri Ram Sena, he said a fortnight after Sena activists attacked girls in a Mang
day
celebrations.
Narhari
said
RSS
demands
that
stringent
action
be

It is incorrect to link the policies and activities of Sri Ram Sena to the Sangh Parivar, Narahari and B Nagaraj, a pracharak

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COMMENTS BOARD ::

RSS
By

demands
Tapan

to
Ghosh

ban

Sri
on

R
2/12/2009

Is it really true that RSS said like this? If it is true that RSS South-Central Zonal Secretary told in a press conference in
bans the Ram Sena, then RSS central leaders must clategorically announce whether they support this view or not.
Give
By

opportunity
Dr.

to
R.K.

Sri

Ram

Sharma

on

2/11/200

All out efforts have been made by different political parties and outfits to charge SRi Ram Sena for moral policing but no
present its point of view. Who knows what had actually happened and what led to the raucous.The statement of RSS d

promoting vedic Hindu culture and disciplined life among citizens. Nevertheless, 'pub bharo" slogan of congress/upa go
culture
why
By

Debabrata

ban
Mandal

on

Ram
2/10/2009

If RSS considers 'attacks on humans as heinous crime', why not ban the police, the commandos, the army. RAM SE

Pitiable
By

stance
Sreevalsan

of
on

2/10/2009

What a pity that RSS has joined the chorus of anti-Hindu secularists instead of supporting the few brave Hindu voices lik

media to scare the RSS, VHP, BD, SS and BJP into toeing their line! Who will speak for the Hindu if these organisations w
boys of Sri Ram Sena, go ahead and doing your work for Hindu society!
Ban
By

Ram
Anil

Kumar

Mishra

on

2/10/20

Manhandling anybody in support of culture is never supported in India. Hindus believe in convincing others' opinion ra
detrimental to the cultural ethos of this great country.