The Legacy of Martyrdom vs. Ideological Dissent
Remarks on Martyrs in *Bunch of Thoughts*: A Critical Reading
The RSS’s Historical Perspective on Bhagat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement
The Ideas of K. B. Hedgewar: A Debate on the Definition of Nationalism
From 1857 to the 20th Century: The Clash of Martyrdom and Nationalism
Intellectual History and Contemporary Politics: What Do the Documents Reveal?
The Memory of Martyrs and the Responsibility of a Democratic Society
An analysis of the perspective towards Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev within RSS records on the occasion of their 95th martyrdom anniversary. Understand the ideological debates of the freedom struggle in the context of the views of M.S. Golwalkar and K.B. Hedgewar.,,,,
DENIGRATION OF MARTYRS LIKE BHAGAT SINGH-RAJGURU-SUKHDEV: A PEEP INTO RSS ARCHIVES
ON 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARTYRDOM OF BHAGAT SINGH-RAJGURU-SUKHDEV
There is no dearth of proofs in the documents of the RSS which conclusively establish the fact that RSS denounced movements led by revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and their associates. Not only that, but they also hated even the reformist and moderate movements conducted by leaders like Gandhiji against the British rulers.
Here is a passage from the chapter, ‘Martyr, great but not ideal’ of Bunch Of Thoughts, the collection of writings of MS Golwalkar, decrying the whole tradition of martyrs. After declaring that his objects of worship have always been successful lives and that 'Bhartiya culture' [which surely means RSS culture] does not adore and idealize martyrdom and do not treat "such martyrs as their heroes", he went on to philosophise that,
“There is no doubt that such man who embrace martyrdom are great heroes and their philosophy too is pre-eminently manly. They are far above the average men who meekly submit to fate and remain in fear and inaction. All the same, such persons are not held up as ideals in our society. We have not looked upon their martyrdom as the highest point of greatness to which men should aspire. For, after all, they failed in achieving their ideal, and failure implies some fatal flaw in them.” [Bunch of Thoughts, p. 283.]
Could there be a statement more insulting and denigrating to the martyrs than this?
It will be shocking for any Indian who loves the martyrs of the Freedom Movement to know what Hedgewar, the founder of RSS, felt about the revolutionaries fighting against the British. According to his biography published by RSS,
“Patriotism is not only going to prison. It is not correct to be carried away by such superficial patriotism. He used to urge that while remaining prepared to die for the country when the time came, it is very necessary to have a desire to live while organizing for the freedom of the country.” [CP Bhishikar, Sanghavariksh Ke Beej: Dr Keshavrao Hedgewar, p. 21.]
It is indeed a pity that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah Khan and Chandrashekhar Azad did not come into contact with this contemporary great patriotic thinker. If they had the great opportunity to meet him, these martyrs could have been saved from giving their lives for ‘superficial patriotism’.
Even the word ‘shameful’ is not appropriate to describe the attitude of the RSS leadership towards those who had sacrificed everything in the struggle against the British rulers. The last Mughal ruler of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, had emerged as the rallying point for the patriotic Indians and symbol of the Great War of Independence of 1857. Golwalkar wrote thus while making fun of him:
“In 1857, the so-called last emperor of India had given the clarion call-Gazio mein bu rahegi jub talak eeman ki/takhte London tak chalegi tegh Hindustan ki (Till the warriors remain faithful to their commitment/Indian swords will reach throne of London.) But ultimately what happened? Everybody knows that. [Golwalkar, M.S., Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., volume 1, p. 121.]
What Golwalkar thought of the people sacrificing their lot for the country is obvious from the following words of his also. He had the temerity to ask the great revolutionaries who wished to lay down their lives for the freedom of the motherland the following question as if he was representing the British:
“But one should think whether complete national interest is accomplished by that? Sacrifice does not lead to increase in the thinking of the society of giving all for the interest of the nation. It is borne by the experience up to now that this fire in the heart is unbearable to the common people.” [Ibid. pp. 61-62.]
This also must be the reason that RSS produced no fighters or martyrs during the Freedom Movement.
It is the duty of every patriotic Indian who respects these great martyrs to share these anti-national and degenerated, horrendous ideas of RSS against the anti-colonial freedom struggle and martyrs with family and friends so that the Hindutva gang is exposed forcefully.
Shamsul Islam
