Avtar Bhat
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) row has come as a rude shock to millions of Swayamsevaks across globe. This is for the first time in the history since the formation of Bharatiya Jana Sangh now BJP in late fifties that RSS and BJP are at loggerheads and their differences came into public. The RSS which was founded in 1925 by a great visionary Dr Headgewar for service of the country and building a strong and united society free of conflicts and clashes wedded to national cause by restoring pristine glory of India has since then been wedded to national cause with its Pracharks (Swayamsevaks) leaving all worldly pleasures dedicating themselves to service of nation. RSS earlier from its formation in 1925 to late nineties was not interested in media publicity or highlighting its activities in public but believed in selfless service to nation and its people.
Though marred by various controversies including one blaming it for assassination of Father of Nation , Mahatma Gandhi and ordering its ban by Congress Government led by Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1948, RSS continued its silent work. It was only after China war in 1962 when country’s position became awkward at battle front and India conceded its huge territory to China and army and police was engaged in battle field and in relief camps the RSS took mantle of internal security and distribution of relief to people on the call of then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. This was reason that Sangh volunteers were invited in the Republic Day Parade that year by the Government. Not only this but Sangh a huge Hindu organisation with millions of volunteers across the world has been involving the Swayamsevaks in rescue and relief operations during natural calamities like earthquakes, floods and fire incidents. During this relief and rescue work no volunteer makes any discrimination on the basis of religion or region. This is known as one of the great services of Sangh to nation. The BJP which is the political arm of Sangh founded by Dr Shayama Prasad Mookherjee, Prof Balraj Madhok and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay former presidents of Jana Sangh was established to further the ideology of cultural nationalism in India. During formation of Jana Sangh Dr Mookherjee strongly advocated for necessity of forming a rightest Hindu organisation with the then RSS chief Guru Golwalkar. BJS fought elections since its formation in 1951 and in 1967 general elections it managed to win over two dozen seats in Lok Sabha. However Jana Sangh was disbanded in 1977 after its merger with Janata Party a conglomerate of various left and rightest opposition parties under the leadership of Jai Prakash Narayan to challenge black law of emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. The Janata Party after winning general elections in 1977 got spilt in 1980 and BJP leaders were put under pressure to give up their duel membership as they can’t be members of RSS and Janata Party at the same time. This condition was not acceptable to stalwarts of Janata Sangh including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and great Sangh ideologue and Jana Sangh leader Nana Ji Deshmukh. They preferred to leave Janata Party and form Bharatiya Janata Party which was the new name of Jana Sangh.
The party struggled since then to refurbish its image and retain same position which Jana Sangh had attained in Indian politics. But unfortunately for BJP it could not win convincing seats in 1980 election and in 1984 polls held after the assassination of Indira Gandhi it could win only two seats in Lok Sabha. But with RSS at its back the BJP continued struggle and secured 85 seats in 1989 Lok Sabha poll and supported VP Singh’s Jan Morcha from outside. However after the stopping of Ayodhya Rath Yatra led by then BJP chief in Bihar and arrest of L K Advani BJP withdrew support to V P Singh Government and it fell like house of cards. Chandrashekhar a veteran politician with the support of Congress formed Government but it too had to demit office after Congress withdrew its support in six months. However BJP consolidated its position and by 2014 it emerged a Pan Indian political party getting majority in two consecutive elections of 2014 and 2019. In recent Lok Sabha elections party was behind 32 seats for a simple majority and it formed Government with the help of NDA constituents. So far as RSS role is concerned there has been total understanding, coordination and cooperation between BJP and Sangh leaders. Pracharks from Sangh are appointed as BJP general secretary at national level as well as State level to have coordination with parent body.The regular meetings are held between Sang and BJP on policy decisions and increasing coordination. The top BJP leaders are members of Sangh. Shayam’s Prasad Mookherjee, Pt Deendayal Upadhyay, Prof Madhok, former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani , Murli Manohar Joshi, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, present PM Narendra Modi and even J P Nadda are from RSS School of thought who were groomed from this School of thought only. Therefore one wonders what compelled J P Nadda himself a Swayamsevak to make a statement against RSS that too during elections when campaigning was at peak.
The Sangh also countered it and a controversy surfaced which shocked the Sangh activists as well as millions of people sympathetic or wedded to cause of Sangh. Upto time of Raju Bhaiya the then Sarsangchalak RSS as a policy was avoiding media publicity so there were no controversies. But after K S Sudershan took over as Sangh chief over two decades back, Sangh also introduced some modification in its style of functioning and media publicity was one among them. Sangh as a disciplined organisation avoided any sort of controversy or media hype up to 2000 but with transformation in its working and statements made by some of its leaders has generated a controversy which is not good for nation as well as society as a whole. Such statements can confuse the people and hence the top leaders of two organisations need to sit together to bury the hatchet and take immediate measures for damage control.
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