MANIFESTO OF RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has appeared as the worlds largest voluntary missionary
organization.1 It was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at Nagpur in 1925 to fight British
colonial rule and Muslim separatists. It is a right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer
organization in India that is widely regarded as the parent organization of the ruling party of
India, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The initial motivation was to provide character training through Hindu discipline and to unite the
Hindu community to form a Hindu nation2. Inspiration for the new group came from the Italian
Fascist Party with its uniforms and mass demonstrations during World War II. 3 Gradually RSS
grew into a prominent Hindu nationalist umbrella organization, with several dozen affiliated
organizations to spread its ideological beliefs. Organizations which are inspired by the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh's ideology refer themselves as the members of the Sangh Parivar. Some of
them are Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the religious arm of the Sangha; Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh,
trade union; Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, farmers union; Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, student
body; Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, protectionist economic wing; Samskar Bharati, cultural body for
promotion of Hindu values, Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, lawyers association; Akhil
Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh, cultural ideology wing; Seema Suraksha Parishad,
wing for border district; Seva Bharati, Community Service Umbrella etc.
The objective of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is to build the Aryavart Hindu Rashtra based
on the principles of Smritis and Vedas to turn India into a Hindu nation. M. S. Golwalkar has
laid out in detail the vision of RSS in his book We Or Our Nationhood Defined. 4 It is
therefore clear that if Hindusthan is to be protected, we should nourish the Hindu culture. So, the
1 Chitkara, M. G. 2004. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: National Upsurge. New
Delhi: Aph Publishing Corporations.
2 Andersen, Walter K. Damle, Shridhar D. 1987. The Brotherhood in Saffron: The
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism. Delhi: Vistaar Publications.
3 Atkins, Stephen e. 2004. Encyclopedia of Modern Worldwide Extremists and
Extremist Groups. Westport, Connecticut, London: Greenwood Press
4 Golwalkar, M. S. 1938. We or Our Nationhood Defined. Nagpur: Bharat Prakashan.

policy of RSS is that every Hindu should work to integrate the Hindu Society. The RSS has
always claimed that Hindu Rashtra and Akhand Bharat (the two are inter-related) are its core
beliefs. The Sangh is just doing out this job. The RSS considers that if all young men of the
country sacrifice their life for this reason then only the destiny of India can be changed.
Therefore, to change the mind of Indian youth towards it is the principle objective of the RSS.
The RSS founder Dr. Hedgewar advocated the idea that if all non Hindus like Muslims and
Christians who do not follow the traditions, ideals and culture of Hinduism should not be the part
of the country; only then national unity would come. Therefore, in a Hindu nation there should
be only Hindu race, Hindu Culture, Hindu Language i.e. family of Sanskrit and her off-springs, a
totally Sanskritised and Brahminical outlook. It leaves out the Dravidian language family and
most of our tribal languages and imposition of Hindi. Consequently, the non-Hindus like
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and many tribal communities must either accept
Hindu culture and language, learn to respect Hindu religion, glorify Hindu race and culture and
to forget their separate existence to mingle in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country,
completely subordinated to the Hindu Nation without any claim or privileges, or any special
preference like a second-class citizen or foreigner or worse. The RSS view of Muslims is that
either they should accept Hinduism or face extermination. Nationalism and patriotism are
narrowly and inappropriately defined by RSS for the glorification of Hinduism. Any other
activity is anti-national and such people are traitors.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Some contemporary examples of countries ruled by religious fanaticisms like Afghanistan during
the Taliban rule (1992-2001), ISIS held area in Syria and Iraq, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Israel:
these states practice extreme forms of violence against a targeted religious or ethnic minority and
suppress followers of the state religion too. The experience of these theocratic states indicates
that they are unable to control divisions and conflict within the people who are of the same
religion. Worldwide experience shows that religion cannot become the basis of making a modern
country with diverse people. Since RSS wants a Hindu state in India, so after Independence RSS
demanded that instead of the Constitution, the Manumsriti should be enacted as the law of the
land. The RSS is organized in fascist manner. There is no election in the RSS and chief is
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appointed by the predecessor. There are military drills, parades, march-pasts, a special salute, a
uniform, singing of patriotic songs like the Nazis, also the khaki shorts and black cap. But in
this vision of the Hindu Rashtra there is no space for people. There are only unemployment,
disease, ignorance and various kinds of oppression. Economic policy of the Hindu Rashtra is
sketchy and childish. According to their manifesto only way of eradicating poverty is to stop
being selfish and start working harder, with greater honesty, adding to national resources. A
change of heart of capitalists and landlords is expected and they will stop collecting wealth and
start sharing it5 . It is merely an instrument to fool the people, drive them blindly into religious
fanaticism. A fascist control will be exercised so that the economic and social elite can make
merry and acquire the profits of this god-fearing population. But, the people of India will reject
this terrifying vision of a theocracy rooted in unscientific and medieval ideas as the world and
India have gone far beyond. The people of India have successfully thrown out the powerful
colonial British Empire. In this way, they created a unity that cut across religions, castes and
ethnic or linguistic divides.

People know that religion cannot be the path of collective

emancipation. Otherwise no Hindu worker would be exploited and humiliated by his Hindu
employer, nor dalit would be raped or killed by Hindu landlords.

5 Golwalkar, M. S. 1938. We or Our Nationhood Defined. Nagpur: Bharat Prakashan

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