The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is an open organization for everyone. Its doors are not closed to anyone. Anyone can enter the union. When a leader, social worker or learned person of an opposite idea is involved in the Sangh program, then those who consider the Sangh to be a ‘close door organization’. Those who understand the Sangh, they feel all comfortable. Therefore, when Arvind Netam, the tribal class leader of Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh, was invited to the union, at the closing ceremony of the Union Education Class Vikas Vikas-2 held in Nagpur, then the people who know the Sangh felt comfortable but those who have narrow thinking towards the Sangh are not only expressing surprise, but are also trying to create a surprise. However, the air of his disinterestism himself, the tribal leader Arvind Netam, removed it saying that “I have got the opportunity to keep the problems and challenges of Vanvasi society through the Sangh program”. He has also made an important comment regarding the Sangh that “This organization has a deep tradition of thinking churning. In the challenges facing the tribal society in the future, we consider the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the challenges that are handling and helping tribal society”. Renowned tribal leader Arvind Netam has been ministers in Smt. Indira Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao government. It is noteworthy that Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Jai Prakash Narayan to Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee have been involved in the Sangh programs. The Sangh never avoided anyone. The Sangh has been meeting all kinds of opinions from the time of its inception and has been inviting them in its programs.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has deep faith in dialogue. The current Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat says that “If we make ideas a fort and close ourselves inside it, it will not be practical”. The founder of the union, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was a prestigious politician. He was deeply introduced to the Congress, socialist and communist leaders. To see the Sangh, Dr. Saheb used to meet scholars of various ideas and social-political activists and invited them to the Sangh. He used to try to reach the path of solution by consulting the challenges of that time. The current All India Publicity Head of the Sangh, Sunil Ambekar, in his book ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: Swarna India’s Disha Sutra’ writes that “there can be various opinions on a subject, but when we meet every section of society, communicate, the solution is definitely found”.
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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been calling people active in life in their programs since the 1930s. Actually, another important thing is that the Sangh is confident that as long as someone is far from the Sangh, it can be opposed to the Sangh. But as soon as he comes near the Sangh and starts to know and understand the Sangh, then it cannot be opposed to the Sangh. There are many examples that prove this. Former Vice President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain and Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan have also come on the invitation of the Sangh. Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan was a respected socialist leader. Initially his views about the Sangh were critical. But when he saw the Sangh closely, his views changed completely. He even said that “if the RSS is a fascist organization then JP is also fascist”. There has been a friendly dialogue with noted socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and Sangh officials. Acharya Vinoba Bhave has said that “I am not a member of the Sangh, yet by nature, I am a volunteer”. The Param Holiness Dalai Lama has been involved in many programs of the Sangh, he also says that “I am a supporter of the Sangh. This organization is known for discipline, patriotism and social service”. Seeing the service works of volunteers at the time of cyclone in Andhra Pradesh in the year 1977, the Sarvodaya leader Shri Prabhakar Rao had given a new name to the Sangh. According to him- “RSS means Ready for Selfless Service”.
Whenever a person of another thought has come to the Sangh program, they never opposed the Sangh workers. Rather, only those who describe themselves as more progressive and democratic have made every effort to stop the invited dignitaries. When all their efforts fail, then these people start attacking the image of invited dignitaries. They declare them ‘hidden Sanghis’. Remember, when the news of former President Pranab Mukherjee’s involvement came to light at the concluding ceremony of the Union Education class-III held at Reshimbagh, Nagpur in the year 2018. Letters were written, called to stop Pranab da. Finally Pranab da reached the ceremony and gave his address. On this occasion, Pranab da not only went to the house (museum) of Adya Sarsanghchalak Dr. Hedgewar, but he wrote in the visitor book there- “I have come today to pay respect and tribute to Dr. KB Hedgewar, the great son of Mother India”.
Dadasaheb Ramakrishna Suryabhan Gavai, leader of Republican Party of India and Dalit leader Dadasaheb Ramakrishna Suryabhan Gawai and Justice VR Krishna Iyer with communist views have also come to the Sangh programs. After the incident of some Hindus converted to Islam in Meenakshipuram, Mr. Gavai himself expressed his desire to come to the Sangh program and expressed his views. Justice VR Krishna Iyer, who was a minister in the first Communist government of Kerala, contacted the then Sarsanghchalak despite local protests and later expressed his views in front of journalists.
In recent years, Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, former DRDO Director General Vijay Saraswat, HCL chief Shiv Nadar, former Nepal military chief Rukmangud Katwal have attended the Vijayadashami festival of the Sangh like Rukmangud Katwal. In the last decade, Ashwani Kumar, Director and Editor of Dainik Punjab Kesari, who came to the closing ceremony of the Union Education Class to be held in Nagpur, Shri Nirmalanandnath Mahaswamy, the head priest of Adichunchunagiri Math (Karnataka), Mr. Nirmalanandnath Mahaswamy, the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Mr. Sri Ravi Shankar, the Dharmashali Padmasthali Karnataka, Dharmandhi, Dharmandhi Hagadha, Dharmavibhushi D. Virendra Hegde. Rantidev Sengupta, editor of ‘present’ (Kolkata), Sri Ramchandra Mission (Hyderabad) President Daji Upakhya Kamlesh Patel, Shri Kashi Mahapeeth (Varanasi) 1008 Jagadguru Dr. Mallikarjun of Shri Kashi Mahapeeth (Varanasi), Dr. Mallikarjuna Vishwarajun Shivacharya Mahaswamy, Shri Siddhagiri Sansthan (Kolhapur) of Sri Siddhagiri Institute of Math (Kolhapur) and Sri Kshetra Kadasidheshwar Swami Swami Swami and Shri Ksheed Kadasidheshwar Swamy Pithidhish Shri Ramgiri Ji Maharaj is prominent. Apart from this, other programs including the programs of Sangh Education classes organized across the country invite the union of the iconic people of society.
General Kariappa praised the Sangh work:
In the year 1959, former General Field Marshal Kariyappa went to a program of a branch of the Sangh in Mangalore. There he said that the Sangh work is one of the dear tasks with me. If a Muslim can praise Islam, what is wrong with the Sangh’s pride of Hindutva? Dear young friends, do not work discouraged by any wrong publicity. Dr. Hedgewar has placed the sacred ideal of a selfish -interest work in front of you. Go ahead on that. India today needs serviceable workers like you.
Mahatma Gandhi in the class and branch of the union:
In the year 1934, the Cold Camp of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was held near Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Wardha. Gandhiji expressed his desire to see the camp. Vardha’s unionist Appaji Joshi welcomed him to the camp. Mahatma Gandhi inspected the camp very closely. He asked Appaji how many Harijan are there in this camp? Appaji replied- “It is difficult to tell, because we see all as Hindus. This is enough for us”. He later met with the founder of the Sangh, Dr. Hedgewar. Mahatma Gandhi himself said this in a public program about going to the Sangh Shiksha class. On the morning of 16 September 1947, Mahatma Gandhi interacted with the volunteers visiting the Sangh branch in Delhi. He said- “Years ago, I went to a camp in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Wardha. At that time its founder Mr. Hedgewar was alive. Late Shri Jamnalal Bajaj took me to the camp and there I was very impressed by seeing the full end of the strict discipline, simplicity and untouchability of those people. The Sangh is a well-known, disciplined institution”.
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in Sangh Education Class:
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the great heroes who organized the society in the formula of harmony, was also in touch with Dr. Hedgewar, the pioneer of the Sangh. Baba Saheb went to the Sangh Shiksha class in 1937 and 1939. In 1937, Baba Saheb’s speech took place at the Vijayadashami festival of Karahad Branch (Maharashtra). During this time there were more than 100 deprived and backward class volunteers. Seeing whom Dr. Ambedkar was surprised, but his faith in the future also increased. In 1939, Baba Saheb once again came to the evening program of the Sangh Shiksha Varge of Pune. Here he met the founder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the then Sarsanghchalak Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. Similarly, the then Sarsanghchalak Madhavrao Golwalkar met him in Delhi in September 1948 for thanking Dr. Ambedkar’s support in lifting the ban from the Sangh.
Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the Sangh program:
On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda birth anniversary in 1963, the Sangh also invited prominent politicians of all political parties and prominent persons of social organizations at the time of construction of ‘Vivekananda Shila Memorial’ in Kanyakumari. The signature of 323 MPs of various political parties was received by Eknath Ranade ji in support of the construction of the memorial. The then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi attended the inauguration program of ‘Vivekananda Shila Memorial (Vivekananda Rock Memorial)’ at the invitation of Eknath Ranade ji.
– Lokendra Singh
(The author Makhanlal Chaturvedi is an assistant professor at National Journalism and Communication University.)
