Politics in its highest levels of practice can come to resemble the mastery of a classical performance. It can be choreographed, and yet contain novelty. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on Sunday, March 30, the chief objective was the balancing of elements. Substance and symbolism, for instance. It was the first time he was visiting after assuming power 11 years ago, a fact of some significance, so it felt right that he chose the birth anniversary of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar to come in an aspect of obeisance. If the BJP’s symbiotic links with the RSS had occasionally shown signs of wear, it could be put down to the simple fact of being politically alive. The pragmatic response was only to solder things back together.
The little blips of friction, like the overstating of organisational selfhood by party president J P Nadda last summer, became an occasion to diagnose and heal. That the collective is greater than the individual is an article of faith for the Sangh. The BJP’s projection of Moditva, almost deifying him as a cult figure bigger than the party, was always going to be not in consonance with that—even if the Sangh had largely reconciled itself to the nature of the political beast in India. So a gesture of sublimation was necessary.
The Sangh would count Modi’s tenure as the most productive so far in terms of ideological delivery. Ayodhya, Article 370, intimations of the uniform civil code—those ticked key boxes on the Sangh’s to-do list that could not be accomplished during Vajpayee’s three terms. On the flip side, the south remains unconquered with high-quality regional leadership struggling to blossom.
Interestingly, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is elder to Modi by six days. Both turn 75 this September. That was the cut-off age set by Modi to take his illustrious seniors out of the equation. With him approaching that phase in life, speculation on his retirement is natural. Uddhav Sena’s Sanjay Raut did some kite-flying, suggesting the successor could come from Maharashtra. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tamped it down, saying Modi would lead the nation beyond 2029. Whatever he decides eventually, Modi has not given any indication of preparing to walk into the sunset just yet.