Since Narender Bhai Modi, who claims to be a ‘Hindu Nationalist’ and member of RSS took charge as PM of India, the largest democracy in the world, has no respite from receiving fatal blows. Sadly, the judiciary which was to function as watchdog of the Republic has completely capitulated to the Hindutva agenda. The consecration of the Ram Temple by Modi performing the role of a main priest on January 22, 2024, seems to be the beginning of the end of the Indian Republic. This would be clear by the perusal of an extraordinary resolution passed by Modi’s Cabinet which congratulated PM Modi for a new Ram Temple at Ayodhya. It stated that while “the body of the country attained independence” in 1947, the “Pran Pratishtha [putting life into the idol of Ram by PM Modi] of its soul was done on January 22, 2024”, and “everyone experienced spiritual satisfaction.” [‘Cabinet hails Modi: Country’s body got freedom in 1947, soul on Jan 22, 2024’, The Indian Express, Delhi, January 25, 2024 ]
Thus freedom of India and
its becoming a Republic was simply declared as physical independence but
fulfillment of a majoritarian sectarian agenda under PM Modi’s supervision was
declared to be the liberation of the ‘Soul’!
We should not fail to understand that whatever
is being done by the RSS/BJP rulers
to destroy the present Indian polity is part of a well-thought strategy to
convert India into a theocratic and totalitarian state as per the diktats of
the Hindutva idea of India. For this eason RSS-Hindu Mahasabha opposed the freedom struggle for an all-inclusive India. It has not been a hidden
agenda of RSS except that we have been unaware of it to the perils of
our Republic. When the Constituent Assembly of India had finalized the Constitution of India RSS was not happy. Its organ,
Organizer, 4 days after this
historical event, in an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained,
"But in our constitution there is no
mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws
were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his
laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and
elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits
that means nothing."
How loyal the RSS is to the Constitution of
India can be known by the following statement of Golwalkar which is being
reproduced from Bunch of Thought which
is not only selection of the writings of Golwalkar but also a Bible for the RSS
cadres.
"Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from
various Constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing which can
be called our own. Is there a single word of reference in its guiding
principles as to what our national
mission is and what our keynote in life is? No."
[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya
Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996, p. 238.]
What kind of civilization the RSS wants to
build by enforcing the laws of Manu, can be known by having a glimpse of the
laws prescribed by Manu for the Dalits/Untouchables and women. Some of these
dehumanizing and degenerate laws, which are presented here, are
self-explanatory.
LAWS OF MANU CONCERNING DALITS/UNTOUCHABLES.
(1) For the sake of the prosperity of the worlds (the divine
one) caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya,
and the Sudra to proceed from his
mouth,
his arm, his thighs and his feet.
(2) One occupation only the lord prescribed to the
Sudras, to serve meekly even these (other) three castes.
(3) Once-born man (a Sudra), who insults a
twice-born man with gross invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is
of low origin.
(4) If he mentions the names and castes (jati) of
the (twice-born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be
thrust red-hot into his mouth.
(5)
If he
arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall cause hot oil to be
poured into his mouth and into his ears.
(6)
With
whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to (a man of the three) highest
(castes), even that limb shall be cut off; that is the teaching of Manu.
(7) He who raises his hand or a stick, shall have
his hand cut off; he who in anger kicks with his foot, shall have his foot cut
off.
(8) A
low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of a high
caste, shall be branded on his hip and
be banished, or (the king) shall cause his buttock to be gashed.
LAWS OF MANU CONCRNING WOMEN
1. Day and night woman must be kept in dependence
by the males (of) their (families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they must be
kept under one’s
control.
2. Her father protects (her) in childhood, her
husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman
is never fit for independence.
3. Women must particularly be guarded against evil
inclinations, however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded,
they will bring sorrow on two families.
4. No man can completely guard women by force; but
they can be guarded by the employment of the (following) expedients:
5.
Let the
(husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure of his wealth, in
keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfillment of) religious duties, in the
preparation of his food, and in looking after the household utensils.
6. Women do not care for beauty, nor is their
attention fixed on age; (thinking), ‘(It is enough that) he is a man,’ they
give themselves to the handsome and to the ugly.
7. Through their passion for men, through their
mutable temper, through their natural heartlessness, they become disloyal
towards their husbands, however carefully they may be guarded in this (world).
10.(When creating them) Manu allotted to women
(a love of their) bed, (of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires,
wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct.
It is to be noted here that a copy of Manusmriti was burnt as a protest in the
presence of Dr. BR Ambedkar himself during historic Mahad agitation on December
25, 1927 and it was decided to commemorate this day in future as 'Manusmriti
dahan divas' [Manusmriti Burnning Day].
Against Secularism
The RSS demands total loyalty to the Indian
Nation from minorities. It is another thing that it does not feel it proper to
be loyal to the constitutional-legal set up of
this very Nation. The study of Prarthana (prayer) and Pratigya (oath) as
practiced in the shakhas of the RSS is an example of how the Indian nationalism
has been equated with Hinduism, in the same
way as the Muslim League
had combined Islam with
nationality. Significantly, both Prarthana and Pratigya are in direct
contravention to the existence of an Indian Secular State which is an important
‘Basic’ feature of the Constitution of India. It is very important to note here
that those groups which have been decrying and opposing the Indian
constitutional set- up have been facing the might of the Indian state in the
form of bullets, gallows or jails but here is the RSS which openly rejects the
legitimacy of the constitutional system of the country still is allowed to have
a free run of the country.
Just imagine PM Modi and most of his ruler
colleagues who took oath to uphold the integrity of a democratic and secular
India were also committed to the task of creating
a Hindu Rashtra as per
the texts of the Prayer and Oath as essential for the RSS
cadres.
RSS Prayer:
"Affectionate Motherland, I eternally bow
to you/O Land of Hindus, you have reared me in comfort/O Sacred Land, the Great
Creator of Good, may this body of mine be dedicated to you/I again and again
bow before You/O God almighty, we the integral part of the Hindu Rashtra salute
you in reverence/For Your cause have we girded up our loins/Give us Your Blessings for its accomplishment."
[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga,
Jaipur, 1997, p. 1.]
RSS Oath:
"Before the all powerful God and my
ancestors, I most solemnly take this oath, that I become a member of the RSS in
order to achieve all
round greatness of Bharatvarsha by fostering
the growth of my sacred Hindu religion, Hindu society, and Hindu culture. I
shall perform the work of the Sangh honestly, disinterestedly, with my heart
and soul, and I shall adhere to this goal all my life. Bharat Mata Ki
Jai."
[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga,
Jaipur, 1997, p. 66.]
Thus they were not faithful to the Indian
Nation as it existed as a legal entity but wanted to subvert it into a
theocratic state like Muslim League which created Pakistan in the name of Islam.
Against Democracy
The RSS contrary to the principles of democracy
has been constantly demanding India to be ruled under a totalitarian regime.
Golwalkar while delivering a speech before the 1350 top level cadres of the RSS
in 1940 declared,
RSS inspired by one
flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and
every corner of this great land.
[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in
Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. I, p. 11.]
This slogan of one flag, one leader and one
ideology has directly been borrowed from the programmes of Nazi and Fascist
parties of Europe.
Against Federalism
The RSS is also dead against federal structure
of the constitution, again a ‘Basic’ feature of the India polity. This is clear
from the following communication of Golwalkar which he sent to the first
session of the National Integration Council in 1961. It read,
“Today’s federal
form of government not only gives birth but also nourishes the feelings of
separatism, in a way refuses to recognize the fact of one nation and destroys
it. It must be completely uprooted, constitution purified and unitary form of
government be established.”
[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in
Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. III, p. 128.]
These have not been some stray ideas of the RSS
ideologue on Indian Federalism. The Bible of the RSS, Bunch of Thoughts, has an exclusive chapter titled, ‘Wanted a
unitary state.’ While presenting his remedy to the federal set-up of India he writes,
“The most important and effective step will be to bury deep for good all talk
of a federal structure of our country’s Constitution, to sweep away the existence of all ‘autonomous’ or
semi-autonomous ‘states’ within the one state viz., Bharat and proclaim ‘One
Country, One State, One Legislature, One Executive’ with no trace of
fragmentational, regional, sectarian, linguistic or other types of pride being
given a scope for playing havoc with our integrated harmony. Let the
Constitution be re-examined and re-drafted, so as to establish this Unitary
form of Government and thus effectively disprove the mischievous propaganda
indulged in by the British and so unwittingly imbibed by the present leaders, about our being just a juxtaposition of
so many distinct ‘ethnic groups’ or ‘nationalities’ happening to live side by
side and grouped together by the accident of geographical contiguity and one
uniform supreme foreign domination.”
[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya
Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996,
p. 227.]
It is important to note that Indian Supreme
Court in the SR Bommai vs Union of India 1994 case declared federal structure,
secularism socialism, social justice, unity and integrity of democratic-secular
India as inviolable 'Basic Features' of the Indian Constitution; the
fundamental characteristics to which RSS is totally opposed.
Thus RSS represents the most lethal danger to
the existence of Indian Republic visualized by the Constitution framers like
Dr. BR Ambedkar. If our Indian Republic is to be saved, the anti-national and
inhuman ideology of RSS; the Hindutva must be confronted in Parliament,
judicial rooms, corridors of administration, educational institutions and
outside. We should not overlook the fact that with RSS ruling India there is need
of any foreign enemy to undo democratic- secular Indian Republic. There is no
choice unless we decide to collude with the Hindutva gang!
Shamsul Islam
January 26, 2024
