BENGALURU: Those who are in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are Swayamsevaks (volunteers) of today, and those who are not will be Swayamsevaks tomorrow, including RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge and others, former BJP general secretary (organising) Ram Madhav said on Sunday.
He went on to add that one should be an “idiot” to say that RSS shakhas (meetings) must not be held in public places.
His response comes at a time when Priyank demanded restrictions on RSS activities in public places and action against Karnataka government employees taking part in RSS activities, leading to a political furore.
Madhav was delivering a talk on ‘RSS 100--Centenary Year of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’, organised by Manthana Darahalli held in Bengaluru. Stating that RSS is not a secretive organisation, Madhav said it is good that the meetings are held in public places, so that activities are open and it is easy to monitor its activities.
Beginning his lecture tracing the history of RSS, Madhav, who is also the president of the think tank India Foundation, said, “Many opposed RSS. At the most, they expected it to be a fringe element. But RSS has not only survived 100 years but continues to grow, attracting the wider Indian society, which is special and unique.”
RSS has become the heartbeat of Indian society, he said. “The thoughts RSS represented about dharma and culture are today the thoughts of the mainstream. One may or may not belong to RSS, but has respect towards it, and there lies its success,” he added.
“To live as per the principles of Hindu dharma and lead life as a good Hindu is what RSS wants, and it is not propounding anything new,” he said. Madhav said that any other organisation would not have survived 100 years, given the misunderstandings and the scrutiny that the RSS has faced. He recalled that RSS fought for the protection of the Constitution, goraksha (cow protection), to eradicate caste differences and untouchability, and fought against the emergency to restore democracy.
He said that former PMs Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and revolutionary leader Jayaprakash Narayan had changed their ideas about RSS and added their great-grandchildren may take some more time to understand. He said RSS had no enemies, but others assume the Sangh are their enemies.
He ended his speech stating that the Sangh would take up the ‘RSS Pancha Parivaratan’ (five key areas of transformation).
Film director TS Nagabharana and others were present.
