The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is in its most divine zone ever — expanding its footprint across India and the world, remote controlling governments across India including the central government of Narendra Modi, determining issues and setting agenda on its pet subjects, and its supremo has the high security in the land.
A long way from the banned organisation implicated in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination 70 years ago and a long way from an organization which did not fly independent India’s flag for 52 years.
The curiosity about and around the RSS was never as great as it is today. It’s chief, it’s philosophy, it’s world view, it’s large and hydra-headed multi-organisation network, it’s diktat on cow as mother and education to be liberated from “western” influence have and continue to create controversies.
It’s desire to rewrite and revise India’s history by minimising or eliminating Islamic or Mughal influences prepare the ground to turn India literally and figuratively into a Hindu majoritarian nation.
This is where the book The RSS: Roadmaps for the 21st century is significant. Books have been written about and on the RSS earlier. This is an addition to the shelf.
The author Sunil Ambekar is a high-ranking pracharak of the RSS and the Organising Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The book narrates RSS’s vision on important aspects. It talks of education sector, family and modern relationships, women’s movement etc.
While emphasising on revamp of education he says,” Rewriting of textbooks is not only desirable but an urgent necessity.” The author also says, renaming is an important part of the reclamation project of the RSS and asserts Aurangabad must be renamed as Sambhajinagar.
The book talks of necessity of new museums to show the world ‘real history’ of India. He writes, “India was partitioned mainly because of the Muslim League, which wanted a nation of their own.”
It is not completely true, it’s the half-truth. The religious political parties were getting more and more aggressive since mid-thirties. The Hindu Mahasabha in its conference held in Ahmedabad in 1937 put forward idea of separate nationhood.
It believed that Hindus and Muslims are two separate and antagonistic nations. On March 23, 1940, the Muslim League in its conference held in Lahore said the same thing and talked of a home land for Muslims for the British India.
He writes, “In RSS’s theory of knowledge and education, Sanskrit occupies a pivotal place.
It is the most ancient language of the world and is the pride of India.” The RSS feels Sanskrit needs to be taught from the schools. Research on the Sanskrit, its glorious past and reasons for the decline must be encouraged.
But, making it a part of study need not be encouraged. In the evolution of society, languages also changes and adapt to the demands of the society. The society always strives for the language of future and which has a potential to provide security.
The book is important to understand RSS’s roadmap for the 21st century.
