Former president Pranab Mukherjee has agreed to address an event at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur as a chief guest on 7 June. As BJP leaders welcome his acceptance, some Congress leaders are urging him to reconsider his decision.
ThePrint asks- Pranab Mukherjee to attend RSS meet: Ideological flexibility or Congress paranoia?
Opposition to Pranab’s visit is another attempt to project RSS as a pariah
Arun Anand
CEO, Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra, and author of Know About RSS. Views expressed are personal.
The opposition to former president Pranab Mukherjee’s likely address to the RSS’ swayamsevaks (volunteers) in Nagpur stems from certain pre-conceived notions about the Sangh.
The RSS is not a political organisation. It is more of a platform where people belonging to different sections of society can come together.
Two examples should suffice. In 1934, Mahatma Gandhi visited an RSS training camp at Wardha. Thirteen years later, he referred to this visit while addressing the RSS volunteers in Delhi: “I visited the RSS camp years ago, when the founder Shri Hedgewar (K.B. Hedgewar) was alive. I was very much impressed by your discipline, the complete absence of untouchability and the rigorous simplicity. Since then, the Sangh has grown. I am convinced that any organisation, which is inspired by the high ideals of service and self-sacrifice is bound to grow in strength.” (‘The Hindu’: 17 September 1947)
Babasaheb Ambedkar also visited Sangh Shiksha Varga (RSS training camp) in Pune in 1939. He had asked Hedgewar whether there were any untouchables in the camp. Hedgewar replied that the RSS looks at its swayamsevaks as Hindus, and not touchables or untouchables.
The RSS was conceived as an organisation that brings together all sections of society to transform society. Thus, there is a long list of eminent personalities, cutting across party lines and ideologies, who have addressed RSS swayamsevaks over the last 90 years. This is available in public.
There have been consistent and planned efforts since Independence to manipulate the narrative, projecting the RSS as a pariah. In light of the above-mentioned facts, the opposition to Mukherjee’s address at an RSS camp appears to be a similar attempt.
Engagement with RSS should be normal. But Congress is panicking.
Ashutosh
Spokesperson, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Fuss over Pranab Mukerjee going to the RSS meet is a reflection of an old mindset from an old era. There was a time when the RSS was treated like an untouchable, and any association with them was blasphemous. Today, the RSS is the ruling party. It has a government at the centre and in 21 states. Engagement with the RSS should be normal. But, the Congress is panicking. It shows that the Congress will take some more time to grow up.
Intellectually, this is typical of the Left’s impression on the Congress. Left, though in Indian context, proclaims to be inclusive, but globally it has always been exclusivist. It annihilated millions where ever it ruled. It did not show respect for the rival ideologies. Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot are some examples.
India is, for the first time, witnessing an “ideology state”. It’s grammar and chemistry is different than the previous regimes. The rival parties will have to live with this new scenario. And to fight with the “new nature” of the Indian state, opponents have to innovate new strategies. It has to educate people, engage with the RSS leaders and dominate the discourse. Unfortunately, despite the best of efforts, the Left-liberals-Congress trio is still not dominating the discourse, and the RSS is still setting the agenda.
Mukerjee is a seasoned politician. Why should his intent be misunderstood? As a former president, it is his duty to engage with every citizen and every group. The Congress should stop being paranoid. It should be worried if he praises the RSS, which I strongly doubt. And even if he does, how should it affect the Congress and its self-confidence?
That Pranab is doing something out of the ordinary by going to Nagpur is a myth
Kanchan Gupta
Political commentator
When Pranab Mukherjee was President, Mohan Bhagwat had paid him a courtesy visit. During their brief chat, Pranab Mukherjee had said that he would like to have an informal discussion over lunch. Bhagwat agreed, but on one condition: “I will come to lunch at your place, only if you come to mine”.
That’s how the story began.
When Mukherjee was President, he couldn’t visit Nagpur due to time constraints. Now, he has the time to do it. He isn’t there to meet only the Sangh elders. The primary intention behind the visit is to address the next generation of RSS leaders. RSS as an organisation has always tried to expose its young cadres to multiple perspectives, especially those different from their own. Mukherjee being a political veteran can provide them that exposure.
This is not a political visit.
People who are surprised that a non-BJP, non-RSS eminent person is visiting the RSS headquarters should remember that Gandhi addressed two RSS camps, in Delhi and in Wardha. B.R. Ambedkar addressed an RSS camp too. So did Rajendra Prasad, that too when he was President. Even APJ Abdul Kalam did so.
That Pranab Mukherjee is doing something out of the ordinary by going to Nagpur is a myth. Barring the unpleasantness of the Nehru years, the RSS and the Congress have had an easy relationship. It was Indira Gandhi who inaugurated the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s ‘Ekatmata Yatra’.
The post-Truth idea of democracy being about dissent and resistance is a negative one. Democracy is about dialogue and discussion, neither of which can happen unless there are differing points of view. Political untouchability as propounded by the Left is a crime against democracy.
Unfortunately, opinions have become a substitute for facts. Political discourse is guided by the young who don’t read. The older generation that has seen things is not part of this discourse anymore.
RSS doesn’t need Pranab Mukherjee for legitimacy. They are already ruling India
Shivam Vij
Contributing Editor, ThePrint
As President, Pranab Mukherjee repeatedly lectured the Modi government on tolerance and secularism. Yet, nobody from the right-wing is criticising the RSS for calling Pranab Mukherjee to address them in Nagpur.
Like religious missionaries, pracharaks of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh go around persuading anybody and everybody about their point of view. To make people accept their idea of Hindu supremacy, they will do anything and everything. From violence to saving people in natural calamities, from demonising Gandhi to appropriating him, from cherry-picking Ambedkar quotes to having a programme to convert tribals, from running schools and coaching centres to online propaganda armies, there’s no space the RSS leaves. They want to be present in every room.
The left-liberal spectrum from Maoists to Gandhians believes in exclusion. They suffer from a disease called radicalitis, which is a condition where you are always more radical than the next person. Every morning they wake up, they feel more radical than they did the previous day.
Establishing one’s radical purity requires radicalitis patients to quarantine themselves from the radically impure. Thus, the radicalitis-stricken keep marginalising themselves, going a step closer to the margin each day until they fall over the cliff and the RSS establishes complete dominance over the public sphere.
Radicalitis patients think that Pranab Mukherjee accepting an invite to speak at an RSS function will ‘legitimise’ the RSS. They don’t need your legitimacy. They are already ruling India. A pracharak is the Prime Minister.
Hats off to Pranab Mukherjee for accepting this invitation. Conversation is the life-blood of democracy. He should be judged only for what he says on that stage.
Pranab’s ‘engagement’ with RSS can compromise his children’s careers
Rama Lakshmi
Editor, Opinion, ThePrint
Former president Pranab Mukherjee has just RSVP’d an RSS event next month. And overnight, he has become a pariah. He is being criticised for mainstreaming the RSS, and going against the Congress ethos.
Technically, Mukherjee quit politics when he became the nation’s president. But even during his presidency, he kept reiterating principles of tolerance and diversity in almost every speech. The Congress party and its supporters, at that time, would cheer him loudly for being ‘our man’ in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Every speech of his was interpreted as a gentle rap on the country’s political climate.
He had said there is no room for the ‘intolerant Indian’; pluralism is the bedrock of Indian civilisation; that public discourse must be free of all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal.
But now, by choosing to go to the RSS event, he is also signalling a post-retirement disenchantment with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who doesn’t consult him on important issues or treat him as the party elder.
So, Mukherjee is crafting a legacy of his own. As president, he already missed the bus on being the most ‘popular’ president. In recent months, he has been meeting non-BJP and non-Congress politicians, fuelling speculations that he is trying to mentor a coalition for 2019. Is he trying for another legacy now? Is Pranab Mukherjee no longer satisfied with the title of ‘the best PM India never had’?
During his years at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he made up with several of the Congress’ political opponents, like Mamata Banerjee, Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal. His advisers would like him to keep Modi in good humour and, indeed, the latter obliges too.
But in his quest for an elusive legacy, Mukherjee’s ‘engagement’ with the RSS stands to compromise the careers of his daughter and son.
Compiled by Deeksha Bhardwaj, journalist at ThePrint.
“Pranab Mukherjee visits RSS HQ at Nagpur on their invitation to deliver a speech.”
How one can view it? We may explain it by this analogy.
A Preacher goes to Prostitutes house to give sermons.
He is a decent gentleman and his purpose is noble. He is invited with a smile probably with a plan.
What is end result?
Now they say gentlemen and noble men are pleased with their association. RSS is not treating anyone as ‘pariah’.
They will please anyone as long as it serves their target. They will capture a part of you and throw into dustbin.
Have we not seen its political wing BJP weaning away vulnerable members of opposition parties? Most of them are used, castrated and thrown away.
Are they really not treating anyone as ‘pariah’? Are they inviting everyone? They also say discussion is the way in democracy. Do they really believe in discussion and democracy?
Why don’t they open their platform for all inclusive dialogues with dalits, minorities and others? They are on a weak wicket and they cannot face truth about their past and present. They are idiotic supremacists and their ego and ‘supremacy’ does not permit them to talk to their ‘subjects’ as equals.
Why don’t they stop lynching by their various wings? Those affected are not begging RSS, its wings and their men for mercy. They demand their legal constitutional right.
Why they spread hatred towards other fellow Indians? They may be Muslims, Dalits, other minorities and secularists. They have equal right to speak and live in this country and they may have a view that is different from RSS and its wings.
Is it not true that RSS using these discussions with selected targets to break those bricks to infiltrate into fort which they are unable to conquer?
They are poor event managers. What they have achieved over 100 years excepting fooling people using a mask of development and Modi that too usurping a vacuum created and provided by others?
Ultimate aim and target of RSS, the so called ‘only cultural and not so political’ organization is to dilute opposition strength. They are trying to present and sell its image as ‘moderates’ to gullible public.
Why a decent gentleman like Pranab Mukherjee in spite of his vast political innings become pliable by warm nudges of RSS and get hoodwinked by them.
Why he should go there as one man army to convert them when they are brewed and cultured over 100 years with their radical right wing ideology.
We cannot say PM (Pranab Mukherjee) went there to serve his unfulfilled ambition of becoming PM (Prime Minister).
By opting for such an adventure he has forced his past associates to make additional effort to neutralize and overcome political damage of his visit. He has gifted RSS debating points and propaganda material to confuse people.
We have enemies for sure by way of too many such gentlemen in our midst and we do not know what they will do next.
Beware of such friends/ associates and make them aware of such pitfalls.
This is a view presented by ganram@ganesan312 in twitter on 08-06-2018.
Congratulations to Pranabda for your reality step to attend RSS meet. RSS organization made many dedicated nationals that tirelessly worked for good of India. RSS is the biggest organization that is based on Indian culture and developing strong good youth. Today people of India overwhelmingly have given opportunity to RSS trained persons to run the Government. It is an insult to people of India and against India culture to keep RSS outcast. Like other left countries, it would be good for India to make left thought outcast as early as possible. Left culture only remind characters like Stalin, Pol Pot etc. more dangerous than Hitler. Bengal has seen their manslaughter extremist cadre. Left thought never could make dedicated civil youth organization. Left ideologies is misfit on Indian soil.
1. The Congress party and Leftists are strong opponents of RSS ideology and that is understandable. I too have my disagreement with RSS ideology. However, when I see that so many of my relatives and educated friends are attracted to that ideology I realise that non-BJP parties should make efforts to understand (a) how RSS first succeeded in increasing its influence on the educated middle class and why today this class has become a staunch supporter of BJP and a bitter critic of the Congress party; and (b) whether any great objective will be fulfilled by saying that RSS ideology is based on fascist principles, without making efforts to offer a viable alternative to that ideology. 2. I am also reminded of fact that in sixties and seventies good many youth from the educated middle class were attracted to the leftists’ ideology but they moved away from the Left. 3. As regards acceptance by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India, of invitation from RSS to be a chief guest of valedictory function of volunteers’ training camp, my suggestion is that let us be patient and wait till 7th June, on which day Shri Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to address RSS volunteers.
If the speech is telecast live, I would love to watch it. Shri Pranab Mukherjee is not just a lifelong Congressman and someone with a distinguished record of public service, he is a student and admirer of the Constitution, both its plain text and how it has worked in practice. His audience would be treated to a masterly exposition of issues, some of which they view very differently. It will be fascinating to hear his views on secularism, the place of minorities and the underprivileged in national life, even the concept of Hindu Rashtra. I don’t think Mr Mukherjee is the man who will massage his message to say what the audience might wish to hear. 2. The RSS deserves praise for inviting him. They might also wish to call Shri Hamid Ansari. It is a powerful institution, its views and philosophy have a direct bearing on governance and national life. Dialogue with distinguished people from different points of view would enrich the organisation, help make its worldview more contemporary. It would also be a good idea to call economists and others whose views on liberalisation and privatisation are at variance with its orthodoxy. 3. The Congress should trust Pranabda. At a delicate time, Pramod Mahajan was meeting Sharad Pawar. When questioned, he said with a smile, My party trusts me implicitly. The Congress should think whether they are equally sure about Mr Pawar …