“The Sarsanghchalak’s speech carried messages transcending geographical and ideological limits. He raised fundamental questions—erosion of values in life, growing consumerism and its side-effects like deconstruction of the family. Sociological metamorphosis of this degenerative kind is today a world worry. Be it former British PM John Major or Japanese leadership of the 80s and 90s, all had earlier cautioned their societies against becoming individualistic and mechanical and neglecting family.” – Prof Rakesh Sinha
The Doordarshan telecast of Mohan Bhagwat’s traditional Vijayadashami address [full text here] has triggered a mini ‘outrage’ in certain political and intellectual quarters. The government has been pilloried for ‘using majoritarianism’. Those crying murder include cricket writer-turned-historian Ramchandra Guha, whose origins—both ideological and political—lie in anti-RSSism, patronised by a system that practised intellectual fascism.
Formed in 1925, RSS has grown in ideological and physical reach. Intriguingly, the discourse has centred only on RSS as a body, rather than its ideology. But every negative practice carries some positive aspects. The anti-RSS untouchability turned it into an idea whose reach has exceeded its organisational boundaries, something the secularists fail to comprehend.
The outrage at DD’s telecast of Bhagwat’s speech reflects secularists’ twin agony. First, the Sarsanghchalak’s speech carried messages transcending geographical and ideological limits. He raised fundamental questions—erosion of values in life, growing consumerism and its side-effects like deconstruction of the family. Sociological metamorphosis of this degenerative kind is today a world worry. Be it former British PM John Major or Japanese leadership of the 80s and 90s, all had earlier cautioned their societies against becoming individualistic and mechanical and neglecting family.
Bhagwat touched the hearts of common people who find a sea of difference between what they heard from him and the Sangh’s image the patronised intellectuals and media projected. This is uncomfortable for such propagandist intellectuals. Their de-legitimisation, if people begin judging from their own intellect rather than the eyes and ears of durbar intellectuals like Guha, is worrying. People like Guha serve the cause of non-BJP parties, enjoying their patronage in return. Most JNU and Delhi University’s social science faculties, at least till the 90s, were directly or indirectly linked to the Communist parties and Nehruvian ideology. They are anything but independent intellectuals.
Where were these worthies when every second day DD news and private channels aired concocted malice against RSS for its alleged involvement in terrorism? It is this crowd that legitimises such concoction. It is sheer bankruptcy to compare Bhagwat with the Christian clergy or imams. Intellectuals of the Mutual Appreciation Club have blatantly used government agencies, whether DD news or National Book Trust, to promote their ideological siblings. Are these ‘intellectuals’ unaware of the fact that not less than 80 consultants were appointed in Doordarshan by the erstwhile UPA regime with hefty salaries? Most, if not all, belong to the same ‘secularist’ fraternity. Doordarshan has to be professional; if it wants to survive, it has to adhere to the market and the parameters of independent news telecasting.
The RSS’ Vijayadashami function was telecast by prominent private channels. Were they afraid of the Sangh? Most of them are known for their anti-RSS bias. DD acted professionally; morally and legally justified. The same DD news, just before the elections, edited Modi’s interview, deleting some of its parts, obviously upon 10 Janpath’s orders. No ‘intellectual’ then raised the issue of ethics or autonomy.
Bhagwat’s speech is significant from another dimension too. He cautioned the nation against Chinese attempts to destabilise India’s economy by using the tool of dumping. A survey reveals that the maximum negative impact of Chinese dumping is on Muslim artisans and traders. Bhagwat redefined Swadeshi in the present context. Chinese goods, like British goods in 1907, are the curse of the Indian economy. Bhagwat has not opposed legitimate trade between the two countries, but only illegitimate economic activity. The Sangh’s appeal against China naturally angers a section of ‘intellectuals’ who are obliged to Beijing. RSS, however, represents the India of over 10,000 years; not the India after 1947, or the immediate future of five years, but of posterity. – The New Indian Express, 5 October 2014
» Prof Sinha is Hony. Director of India Policy Foundation. Email him at Rakeshsinha46@gmail.com
Filed under: india | Tagged: doordarshan, india, indian politics, mohan bhagwat, nehruism, nehruvian secularism, politics, RSS, RSS, secularism |
BHARATA BHARATI 
Very Very meaningful article.All the Media have manged to paint a bad picture of the RSS just as some have done to Brahmins! Personally I hold the view: 1.All the countries have a ride over India and within that Hinduism! They use all their intellect, technology, political & economic superiority to wipe out Hinduism-no one knows whether they would be rewarded for that, when, where and how! At the same time, they want the slavish Hinduism for them to fight-just like the ..MKs, Aethists and Communists want subdued Brahmins-only to be used as the shield, which should take all the beatings!
2.The outsiders are not the only enemies to Hinduism! Its own laziness to adapt to changes- the oft quoted Sri Krishna’s Command to all of us ” सर्व धर्मान परित्यज्य मां एकम शरणं व्रज अहम त्वा सर्व पापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि माँ सुचः ” is wrongly interpreted and practiced-conveniently as inaction! In other words, long before, we have lost the intellectual Brahmins like Vasishta, Visvaamithra, Athri. Maandavya and many many such, the Great Kings like SriRama, SriKrishna, Vikramaadithyaa, Guptas etc. and more important the spirit or tolerance that the Brahmins, the Kings and Subjects have to co exist and respecting / complimenting each other in their duties! The non Brahmins can see only the Idle Brahmins enjoying life; the Brahmins, with their limited intelligence clamor for the worldly pleasures being enjoyed by the others; having lost their wonderful creative talent, that is the Brahma Vidhya, the Brahmins themselves must have been projecting each one’s school of thought or ritual or deity as superior to the other and so forth to get cheap favors from the others; the offshoots of these is the emergence of Islam and Christianity. In their turn, they too have over done the correction- the over dosage of the Curative medicines themselves have turned out to be poisons, which statement their diehards will reject outright and issue a ‘fatva’! 3. The promotion of recent, may be a few centuries, ” Science, Industrial Developments-gadgets like the trains, the automobiles, the planes, Electricity- and much more effectively the communication systems like the News Papers, the Phones, the TV, the Internet,by few ‘Business people / Traders and so called Social Reformers indiscriminately has done the maximum damage to Society all over the world. Once again the offshoot of this is Religious / Racial Fundamentalism, Terrorism, Jihads, ISIS, Holocaust, all sorts of Revolutions and so forth! The cycle of over dosage of Curative Medicines turning out to be Poisons continues! All the countries, all religions, all races suffer from this-inability to judge the correct dosage and calling a halt to further administration! 4. The world is over populated; each individual draws his own views! most of us have ceased to behave as groups; each is clamoring for every thing; at the moment technology, the material Philosophy and politics of the West are unable to meet these aspirations. We have to draw inspirations from our Sanathana Dharmas and establish Hinduism-modified or corrected- will give peace and happiness to every one in the Universe. The RSS is a very good setup; it has to expand into every village; it should be dynamic and not get stuck up with few people.
(I am a retired executive from a PSU, which was similar to the Guptas or VijayaNagara; but offered no pension benefits; this affects me and my family very much! If I have some good assistance and financial backing, then I suppose I can present better!)
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