RSS IDEOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT IN INDIA: A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

 


 

INTRODUCTION

The rapid growth of RSS poses a serious threat to minority religions in India. As such, a research paper analyzing RSS and its ideology, particularly an emphasis on its impact in India and the Christian response, is crucial at this hour. So, this paper will summarize RSS’s historical background, and its relation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the major political parties in India, briefly highlighting its impact on the Indian constitution, Indian Christians, and Muslims. This paper will bring insight into the core agenda and motive of RSS i.e., Hindutva ideology, and inform Christians about RSS and its associates.

 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Origin

On 27th September 1925, the RSS organization was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The full form of RSS is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which means ‘national volunteer organization.’[1] It was started as an apolitical organization aiming at the social and religious unification of Hindus against Muslims and Christians.[2] The organization is not a sudden formation with an individual interest, but its basic foundation lies in the ideology of the Hindu Renaissance Movement during the 19th century.[3] The movement was active especially during the time of Mahatma Gandhi, when he served as the President of Congress in 1919. It was the time Hindu radicals came into existence under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak.[4]

 

Ideology

RSS is the heart of Hindutva ideology.[5] The word was first coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (V.D. Savarkar) in 1923 in his work, Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?[6] The term Hindutva means “Hindu-ness.” It is the belief that all who are living in India should be Hindu, and thus it promotes the establishment of India as a Hindu Nation.[7] It aims at a Hindu revival and the political affirmation of “Hinduness.”[8] RSS regards the Hindu Nation as ‘the living God’, having a soul, and instructs its members to show their selfless dedication for “the well-being of the divine object,” i.e., Hindu Society. [9]  Thus, the RSS ideology is rooted in the idea that all Indians should be Hindu.

 

Goals and Objectives

The core objective of the RSS is to realize the India of the 12th century AD when neither Islam nor Christianity had penetrated Indian society. It aimed to achieve the golden past of the Hindus by fighting against what it claimed were the invaders i.e., Muslims and Christians.[10] To achieve its goal, two basic conditions were laid: First, Hindus must surpass their divisions of caste, class, region, and languages, and form a mighty organic Hindu nation. Secondly, non-Hindus, particularly Muslims and Christians whose religious and cultural inspiration originated from foreign lands must adopt Hindu culture and its historical heroes as their own.[11] On the contrary, while advocating RSS's first basic condition to achieve its goals, RSS indirectly aims to maintain a Brahminical supremacy over the Dalits, backward classes, the poor, and the oppressed.[12] They have hope and beliefs that Hindus will rule the whole world in the future just the way Brahmins ruled the whole world in the ancient period.[13] Eventually, the key goal and objective of the RSS is to establish a Brahmanical Society in India by eradicating Islam and Christianity.

 

Characteristics

The RSS was initially characterized as a national volunteer society. The volunteers perform regular akhara (exercise) every week, except on Sunday and Thursday. They used the other days of the week to learn politics.[14] The volunteers have a uniform consisting of khaki shorts, white shirts, and black caps. They pay homage to the saffron flag with om inscribed on it, considering it ‘as the flag of god’ and as the real guru.[15] The cadres are sent out to work in offices to serve the aims and objectives of the organization. These offices include electoral politics, missionary work, and re-conversion work among the Dalits and tribals. The RSS promotes informal education, and at the same time, they also set up schools and colleges in urban, slums, and remote areas. In those schools and colleges, they incorporate the state board syllabus or the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) syllabus. Students in those educational institutions were motivated to be future swayamsevaks (volunteers) with the vision of becoming committed Hindus, even to the point of laying down their own lives in the name of their religion.[16] Hence, features of RSS include physical training, office work, ministerial works to the non-Hindus, manipulating the educational system, and indoctrinating the youth to promote Hindutva ideology.

 

Branches

The local branches of RSS are known as shakas, and they are collectively and commonly known as “the Sangh Parivar” or simply “Sangh.”[17] Under the leadership of Madhav Sadhasiv Golwalkar, RSS experienced rapid growth. He developed an all-India character establishing shakas all over India.[18] By 2020, the RSS has approximately 585,000 members and over 57,000 branches. These branches include the trade union wing (Bharat Mazdoor Sangh), women’s wing (Rashtriya Sevika Samiti), student wing (Akhil Bharatitya Vidyarthi Parishad), and economic wing (Swadeshi Jagaran Manch). It also has international religious branches in the United Kingdom, Australia,[19] and America (Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America).[20] Some of its major branches are BJP (political wing), VHP (Religious wing), Bajrang Dal (a militant auxiliary: youth wing of VHP), and Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram (the organization targeted to include the tribals in its fold).[21] The current RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat plans to “reach every household” and establish branches in “all villages” of India by 2025.[22] Thus, RSS has been firmly established all over India, extending its branches even to foreign countries.

 

RELATION WITH BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP)

Offshoots of Sangh Parivar

The term ‘Sangh Parivar’ is used to collectively describe the broader network of organizations that share Hindutva ideology.[23] It refers to the family of Hindu nationalist organizations in India associated with or inspired by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).[24] RSS is the parent organization and is considered the ideological source of the Sangh Parivar.[25] And, BJP is one of the branches of the Sangh Parivar. It was started to serve the political agenda of RSS so that their actions could be justified on the political platform. It is currently the head of the ruling parties in India.[26] BJP has approximately 180 million or more members, and it is the largest political party in the world.[27] The relationship between BJP and RSS can be described as the BJP being the body and RSS as the soul. RSS can survive without BJP, but BJP cannot exist without RSS.[28] Thus, RSS and BJP are interwoven under the umbrella of the Sangh Parivar.

 

Political Platform to Promote Hindutva

In its initial stage, RSS has no interest in politics. But after independence, they felt the need for political involvement. Since it registered itself as a non-political organization, direct political involvement was impossible. In view of that, in order to get into mainstream politics, in 1951, RSS helped Syamaprasad Mukherjee to start the Bharatiya Jana Sangh Party (BJS).[29] BJS (1951-1979) was the beginning of the RSS’s involvement in Indian politics. It was a movement against the Congress policy of minority appeasement and secularism. Later on, BJS was revived again on 5th April 1980 as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP represents a political culture that is a complete ‘Indianization,’[30] and it is purposely established with the RSS ethos to spread the Hindutva ideology.[31] For that reason, it can be understood that the BJP serves as a political platform to promote the ideology of RSS, Hindutva.

 

However, the BJP argues that Hindutva is not anti-secular because the term Hinduism is not taken in the religious sense, but for addressing all the inhabitants of Hindustan. They interpreted the term ‘Hindu’ in regard to geographical nationalism, and stated that the very term has nothing to do with Hindu religion. But, after the BJP came to power in India, RSS grew rapidly in the states ruled by BJP, and it became a threat to the minorities residing in it.[32] In the meantime, the RSS has already reached its peak in national power through the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Venkaiah Naidu, Home Minister Amit Shah (who is in charge of the country’s internal law and order), and 71% of Modi’s cabinet (by 2019), are RSS members or have a background in RSS (or one of its affiliates).[33] Thus, it is evident enough that through the BJP, RSS is trying to spread its ideology all over India. In fact, RSS has already successfully built its stronghold in politics through the BJP.

 

IMPACTS OF RSS ACTIVITIES

On Indian Constitution

The RSS, through the BJP government in the central, is determined to revise the constitution according to the designs proposed by the Sangh Parivar,[34] where the revised constitution is to be in favor of Hindutva, which was demanded by Hindu fundamentalists from the very beginning.[35] Golwalkar was the one who particularly suggested the revision of the secular constitution of India. With the BJP’s coming to central power, the agenda of changing the Constitution has turned up. They appointed specifically selected members[36] and formed a committee to revise the secular constitution with a hidden intention of replacing it with a Unitarian Hindu constitution so that the government could be handled by the Swamys and Sadhus.[37] The key aim is to draft a Hindu constitution with a specific agenda.[38] BJP has begun some of its various agendas like replacing mosques with temples,[39] re-writing the history of India in schools, colleges, and universities,[40] etc. to promote its religious, cultural, and political agenda. These developments show that Hindu fundamentalism has affected the Indian secular structure and the secular constitution.[41] Eventually, there has been constant conflict with the nation’s secular, scientific, and professional historians.[42] Yet, the RSS is advancing in fulfilling its agenda of re-writing the constitution of India in favor of its ideology.

 

On Indian Christians and Muslims

Hedgewar, the founder of RSS claimed that the weakness of the Hindu society was because of its unstable religious beliefs and practices which were caused by ‘hostile forces’:

i)        Muslims and Christians who spread their faith resulting in the denationalization of their believers.

ii)      The people who were influenced by Westernization, promoting capitalism, socialism, or communism for the development of India. Such people are identified by the RSS as ‘disruptive forces’ causing disturbances in the country.[43]

 

To accomplish their ideology is to alienate the minorities from (which they consider) foreign religions by persuading them to return to their original religion and culture, and reconverting them, esp., the Christians and Muslims, whom they see as the product of the British colonizers.[44] This shows that they consider Christianity and Islam as a threat to establishing Hindustan.

 

The RSS’s chief aim is to unify the Hindus socially and religiously against the Christians and Muslims in India. Their accusation is that they are not faithful to the nation though they are born in the land. It further condemns Christians for choosing the English language over Sanskrit or Hindi, and they consider Muslims as traitors. Golwalkar even used offensive words to inculcate hatred in the hearts of Hindus against Christians and Muslims, implying that both these communities were fighting for political dominion over the Hindus.[45] He further indicted them of plotting an insurgent among the Dalits to rebel against the other Hindus and the government in the name of an independent Dalitstan (place or country of the Dalits). He also summons the Hindus to learn from Hitler’s treatment of the Jews in Germany so that they might apply the same to the Muslims and Christians in India.[46] RSS instilled ideas among the Hindus that, through active participation in the communal riots, social work in the Hindu refugee camps, using provocative communal propaganda, etc., against the Muslims and Christians is the only and best defender of Hindus and their religion.[47] They created fear among the common people that, Muslims and Christians are becoming stronger through converting Hindus.[48] As a result, Christians and Muslims were harassed, and “the rights to freedom of religion” were restrained in the states where BJP came into power.[49] Consequently, they are creating and promoting enmity towards Christians and Muslims.

 

Specifically, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the socio-cultural arm of the Sangh Parivar is often used to actualize RSS’ Hindutva goals towards the Christians. They have been organizing movements for the reconversion of Christians, especially in the northeast, where there are many tribal Christians.[50] So far, in an attempt to maintain its ideology, the BJP government has successfully passed the anti-conversion law in eight states: Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.[51] The law affects only the Christians, Muslims, and their missions in India, and no other religion.

 

CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

Hindutva Idolatry of the Nation

The ideology of RSS i.e., Hindutva, basically calls for worship of the Indian Nation (ref. 1.2.). Contextually, yielding to BJP is equal to accepting RSS and its ideology which is against the faith of Christianity, and so it must be avoided. The God of Christians is one, living, and He forbids anything or any form of idolatry (Mark 12:29; Exodus 20:3-4).

 

Hindutva approach towards the lower caste and the minorities

The BJP policy of ‘positive secularism’ was explained as equal treatment of all religions, which aims at a more positive idea for the stability of democracy.[52] Nevertheless, their very ideology of Hindutva undermines the lower castes’ struggles for achieving social and religious freedom, equality, dignity, and solidarity.[53] According to the Bible, all human beings are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), and all are equal in the eyes of the Almighty. There is no such thing as upper caste or lower caste. All those differences and hierarchical systems are formulated by men to forward their agenda. This proves that Hinduism has no concern for humanity, rather it is just to gratify the desire of some categorized group of people. Jesus, the Son of God treated everyone equally. He is inclusive of all, even the excluded people in the society (Luke 5:27-32; 14:13; 18:9-14; 19:1-10; 22:26).

 

Allegations of Golwalkar against Christians

Golwalkar considers that Christians are basically anti-national, trying to demolish the religious and social culture of the nation while trying to establish political domination. He even said, “Christians have been bloodsuckers. They will remain here as hostiles and will have to be treated as such.”[54] Contrary to the claim of Golwalkar, Christians in no way have the motive for such allegations. In fact, the Bible taught obedience and submission to authority (Romans 13:1). It is unreasonable and against Christian ethics to go against a peaceful government if at all it seeks peace and unity in diversity!

 

Constitutional Rights allegedly denied

Articles 19 and 25 of the Indian Constitution allow for freedom of speech and profession of religion respectively. Thus, RSS and BJP cannot be justified when they insist Christians to stop propagating their religion. When Christians engage in charity and social justice, the Hindu fundamentalists often label it as a strategy for conversion. Contrary to their accusations, the reason behind charitable actions of the Christian is the command of God, which is to care for the poor, needy, and underprivileged (Exodus 22:24). It is the characteristics of Christian God, and it is the love of God bestowed on Christians which compels them to act in love to others (1 John 4:16).[55] The Hindus probably have not known nor experience such love which extends even to one’s enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). So, the RSS and its offshoots’ indictments on the Christians are completely false. Moreover, the constitutional rights of the people must be functional for every citizen of India.

 

Deculturalization and denationalization

Hindutva has its origin as an anti-Muslim since the time of the Mughals, yet it turned out as anti-Christian during the British Raj (1858-1947), because of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, and because of some Christian Missionaries who wanted to obligate their culture on the local people.[56] Such mistakes are factual and have led to misunderstanding or demeaning the Gospel, failing to accomplish the God-given mission, and thus, those people involved are responsible. It is their lack of Biblical understanding, training, and preparation of the individuals that led them to work in such a manner.

 

On the other hand, it is wrong of the RSS to perceive that the motive of all Christians is to deculturize and denationalize the Indian nation just because of some particular Christians they have come in contact with. Say, if one is to judge all the Hindus as thieves and liars because of some Hindus who practice it, it is meaningless and in fact, ignorance. The motive of Christians is not to change culture but to transform, transforming those elements relating to idol worship into monergistic, and retain those that are true to humanity and the teachings of the Bible. Christians do not propagate Dalistan nor a separate country for the Christians but strive towards the great commission, “to go, preach, and make disciples to all nations” (Matt 28: 19-20).

 

CONCLUSION

From the above research, it can be concluded that RSS is wholly a fundamentalistic organization established solely to propagate Hindutva ideology and ethnic cleansing. They consider Christianity and Islam as foreign religions and are strongly against them. It is the chief cause of the organization movement. RSS is also a threat to the minorities living in India. Through BJP, its political right-wing, RSS is actively and successfully carrying out its agenda to make India a Hindu Nation viz., the re-writing of history and revision of the Indian Constitution. Anyone or anything that comes in their way is considered anti-national, and it results in consequences, even to the point of death.

 

Therefore, every Christian, from leaders to lay persons, is responsible for our response towards the RSS and their movements. Knowing that they are totally anti-Christian, targeting no other religion but Christians and Muslims from the very beginning, Christians should gear up, build up their faith in Christ, and prepare themselves so that they might be able to stand firm in the face of opposition whenever and wherever the need arises. At the same time, we must be aware of the agendas and the movements of RSS and its associates, so that we might not fall into their deceptions. Considering the present situation, Christians are too secular to the point of neglecting our faith. It is not surprising that we failed to set an exemplary life of being a follower of Christ, and that eventually led the Hindus to misinterpret who Christ actually is. So, we must strengthen our faith, seek wisdom and knowledge from God, and discipline ourselves to be able to perceive the reality of our spiritual and physical challenges from the devil. Christians must once again revive before it is too late until we helplessly fall into the hands of RSS. Because, in every hook and corner of India, the RSS is actively working.

 

 

Written by

Chiinsianmuan

Esther Beypi

Gracia Chingnunmawi

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Books:

Andersen, Walter K. and Shridhar D. Damle, The Brotherhood in Saffron. India: Penguin   India, 2019.

            Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2007.

Cherain, M.T. Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: A Christian Response. Bangalore:

Lankapalli, Prasad S.J. Hindutva Challenge: Christian Response as a Call to Community. Delhi:       ISPCK, 2014.

Matthew, C.V. Mission in Context: Missiological Reflection. ISPCK: MIIS, 2003.

Moanungsang. Toward Understanding Modern Religious and Secular Movement in India.             India: Christian World Imprints, 2021.

Zachariah, Aleyamma. Modern Religious and Secular Movements in India. Bangalore:       Theological Book Trust, 1992.

 

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“State Anti-conversion Laws in India” The law library of Congress, last modified on October         2018, https://tile.loc.gov/storage    services/service/ll/llglrd/2018298841/2018298841.pdf

Frayer, Lauren. “The Powerful Group Shaping the Rise of Hindu Nationalism in India.” npr (May 3, 2019). https://www.npr.org/2019/05/03/706808616/the-powerful-group-shaping-the-rise-of-hindu-nationalism-in-india.

Friedrich, Pieter. “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically Views Christians as ‘Traitors,’ in Hindutva Watch (February 10, 2022),https://hindutvawatch.org/indias-fascist-rss-paramilitary-ideologically-views-christians-as-traitors/.

P., Julian. “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” in Training Leaders vol. 6.1 (2024).https://trainingleadersinternational.org/jgc/123/the-challenges-of-hindu-nationalism-and-its-in-mpact-on-christian-mission-today/.

Petersen, Hannah Ellis. “What is Hindu Nationalism and How does it relate to trouble in Leicester?” The Guardian, last modified on 20 September 2022, 16:57.            https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/what-is-hindu-nationalis-and-            who-are-the-rss/.

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[1] Aleyamma Zachariah, Modern Religious and Secular Movements in India (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust, 1992), 171-72.

[4] Zachariah, Modern Religious and Secular Movements in India, 171.

                [7] Ellis-Petersen, “What is Hindu Nationalism and How does it relate to trouble in Leicester?” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[8] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 194.

[9] Prasad Lankapalli, S.J., Hindutva Challenge: Christian Response as a Call to Community (Delhi: ISPCK, 2014), 194.

[10] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 194.

[11] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 202-203.

[12] Julian P., “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[13] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 194.

[14] Zachariah, Modern Religious and Secular Movements in India, 172.

[15] Lankapalli, S.J., Hindutva Challenge, 25-26.

[16] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 201.

                [17] Pieter Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically Views Christians as ‘Traitors,’” in Hindutva Watch (February 10, 2022), https://hindutvawatch.org/indias-fascist-rss-paramilitary-ideologically-views-christians-as-traitors/ (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[18] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 190-191.

                [19] Kuldeep Verma, “RSS Full Form: RSS’s Origins, RSS’s Objectives,” Career (July 13, 2023), https://www.careerguide.com/career/full-form/rss-full-form (accessed on February 7, 2024).

[21] Srivastava, “Ideology of RSS,” (accessed on February 15, 2024).

                [22] Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically…” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[24] C.V. Matthew, Mission in Context: Missiological Reflection (ISPCK: MIIS, 2003), 233.

[25] Moanungsang, Toward Understanding Modern Religious...,” 268-269.

[26] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

                [27] Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically…” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

                [28] Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically…” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[29] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 201.

[30] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 218.

[31] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 201.

[32] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 205.

                [33] Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically…” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[34] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 327.

[35] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

[36] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 327.

[37] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 264-265.

[38] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 327.

[39] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

[40] Julian P., “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[41] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

[42]Julian P., “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[44] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 317.

[45] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 199.

[46] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 199-200.

[47] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 200.

[48] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

[49] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 232.

[50] Lankapalli, S.J., Hindutva Challenge, 41-42.

[52] Cherain, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights, 219.

[53] Lankapalli, S.J., Hindutva Challenge, 52.

[54] Friedrich, “India’s Fascist RSS Paramilitary Ideologically…” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[55] Julian P., “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” (accessed on January 31, 2024).

[56] Julian P., “The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and its Impact on Christian Mission Today,” (accessed on January 31, 2024).


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