By Apoorvanand
During a discussion on the biography of Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the second chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), written by Dhirendra K. Jha, journalist Hartosh Bal asked why the RSS wants to identify with the freedom movement, by appropriating its key figures and events, when it did not take part in the anti-colonial national liberation movement. Why does it want to make the national liberation movement its reference point when it had made all attempts to distance itself from it?
Before answering the question, it can be said that the RSS is trying to prove its authenticity as the bearer of the Indian dream in the eyes of its people. Even 75 years after the freedom struggle, we still draw our authority by establishing our relationship with the freedom movement. “What were your ancestors doing then?” is a common question. It is essential to establish your relationship with the freedom struggle. Only then would your lineage be respected.
The RSS does not have that lineage. The biggest accusation against the RSS is that it did not take part in the national liberation movement. In fact, on many occasions, it actually worked against it. It refused to accept the tricolour for a long time. There are several other examples in Jha’s book about the RSS consciously keeping itself away from the national movement.
As Jha shows in his book, the then RSS chief, Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, had refused to meet the same Subhash Bose whom it considers the biggest national hero today and pretends to worship, even pitting him against Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. Bose had left the Congress due to differences with Gandhi and was in the process of forming a separate organisation to fight the British. He was looking for allies. He had heard about the RSS and Bose wanted it to join him. But Hedgewar was not interested in his proposal because he was averse to the idea of taking part in the movement against the British. According to the RSS, British rule was an act of providence. Therefore, when Hedgewar’s old associate, Balaji Huddar, came to him with Bose’s message, he pretended to be ill and refused to even reply to Bose, let alone meet him.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
