RSS Makes Hay of Corruption to Avoid Ban

Mohammed Tanveer

Corruption scams and scandals in India are on the rise in India. In fact, corruption has become the primary concern among Indians, that it has surpassed that of inflation. This troubling trend is a first for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government which came to power in 2004. While there have been some who have tried to single out corruption and it's harmfulness effects on politics in India, there are others who for their own political interests would like to make the masses believe that the fraud, vice, and dishonesty is not in opposition with good governance.



Leach of anti corruption campaign

On 13 March 2011 a group of Delhi residents drove around the city dressed in similar clothing in an attempt to raise awareness of corruption issues and to gain support for the Jan Lokpal Bill. On 28 March 2011 protests were held around India against corruption.

On 5th April Kisan Baburao Hazare, an ex-serviceman and activist based in Maharashtra announced his fast unto death in Delhi to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states). On 9 April 2011 Hazare ended his 98-hour hunger strike as the Government issued a notification in the Gazette of India on formation of a joint committee.

On 4th June 2011 Yoga teacher Ramdev started his indefinite hunger strike at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to bring back the black money stashed in tax havens abroad , Thousands of people gathered in support to the strike from across the nation. Sources confirmed that the organizers of the event obtained permission from the police for a day of yoga training. Thus due the expiry of permission on 5 June 2011 in the midnight, police raided the ground and arrested Ramdev, who was disguised in a salwar kameez and was hiding among a group of female protesters.

What is cooking?

India the largest democracy attained its freedom more or less on the struggle based on civil disobedience through ahimsa (peace). In India the complete system, reforms and progressive measure on whole are paralyzed or deviated from the common man due to the corruption . And the rise of common man against the corruption is most needed act of the hour, but the recent campaign itched many despite their support for the cause.

You can ask an activist working for decades for socio progress or reforms how difficult it was to them to mobilize a mass for a protest. A protest for a general causes attracts many supporters but least turn out on physically. But whereas in the cases of Hazare and Ramdev, the hunger protests witnessed a massive response in terms of turnout and all events were systematically administered and propagated.

Rss functionaries and Ramdev at Hazare’s Fast

Hazare Show

Following the Hazare's fast, a signature campaign to enact the bill had attracted between 5000 and 6000 signatures between 3 April and 5 April by India against corruption (IAC). Many Bangaloreans visited the city's Freedom Park to support Hazare on 5th April. Protests spread to Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Patna, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Pune, Nashik and Kochi on 8th April. As time passed, many individuals and NGOs supported the cause.

The only missing link in the Hazare show is how a bunch of activists with the thoughts against corruption announced on the 3rd of April that Hazare will fast unto death from tomorrow i.e. 4th April in Jantar mantar, Delhi. On the 3rd when the announcement was made in Mumbai Hazare was there, the next day he went to Delhi.
Who made arrangements for the protest in Delhi Jantar Mantar?
Who organized the protest all over the nation?

VHP Leader Ashok Singhal & Ramdev

Ramdev show

Leave aside the millions spent for the Ramdev protest as every one knew he owns billions . When Ramdev began his fast unto death, former Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Ritambara also shared the stage with him. "Bharat Mata ki jai [Hail the motherland]" he hollered and his followers echoed. Many Rss functionaries including its national spokes person Ram Madav visited Ramdev.

Ramdev's protest had been widely criticized as a political gimmick, but most of the media failed to expose the other side of the event. Many have accused the RSS of backing Hazare and Ramdev's protest or using them as remote control. But what is wrong if RSS is backing or organizing these protests against corruption? Only thing that matters is the intention behind these events.

RSS openly came out and extended its support to this movement. More over it had ordered its swayamsevaks to render all possible cooperation to Ramdev's campaign, through the circular by Suresh Joshi. Similar instructions were issued on May 28 by Ashok Singhal of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to all office-bearers of the outfit.

Even Outlook reported that "In April, soon after Anna Hazare began his fast unto death over the Lokpal Bill, Baba Ramdev travelled to Nagpur to hold the final round of meetings with RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and senior functionary Bhaiyaji Joshi. The RSS formed an "Anti-Corruption Front" with Ramdev as its patron and K.N. Govindacharya as its convener; and the ABVP floated "Youth Against Corruption" on May 12 to coordinate with Ramdev.

It seems clear that the movement against corruption is nor of Hazare or Ramdev but of RSS.

RSS Gen Secretary- Suresh Joshi, addressing media

Akhil Bharateeya Pratinidhi Sabha(ABPS), highest body for policy formulation and decision making of Rashtreeya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was held on March 11th to 13th in Puttur of Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. Following the meeting RSS Sarakaryavaha (General Secretary) Suresh Joshi, popularly known as Bhaiyyaji, addressed the media. He told the media that "ABPS is like an annual general body meeting which focuses on social and national issues, "The height of corruption the country is facing" he said: "is dragging the common man also into it knowingly or unknowingly". Corruption is rampant at the political leaders' level, minister level and at the judiciary level which is alarming. This could be attributed to wrong Government policies, the general environment with which we live in, and the lack of value based education.

Later on Ram Madav RSS spokesperson addressed the media and read the two resolutions of ABPS. Among the two one was on corruption.

The first resolution titled, 'Need for a decisive blow against corruption', talked about unrooting the corruption from the country in two fronts. First front stresses on the need of creating value based & ethic abiding men. The resolution talks about the urgent need to reinstall the 'Sanskar' based 'man making system' into the society, which were gradully eroded from the society.And as a second priority, RSS urges the people of the country to back all the individual & institutions, who are & will fight the corruption.

'Unless disciplined, cultured people who imbibe certain values & culture are created in the country, the issue of corruption cannot be addressed permanently & our family, temples & education institutions play a major role in this direction', opined Madhav.

RSS passed a resolution and planned to campaign against corruption on 12th March.

On April 5th Hazare begins his fast and on same day Ram Dev meets RSS national president Mohan Bhagwat.

ABVP, the students' wing of BJP floats Youth against corruption movement on 12th April to support Ramdev's campaign.

Are these events accidental or incidental?

Creating sunshine to make hay

Now it is clear that RSS has ignited the recent protest against corruption. RSS a movement founded 86 years ago was banned thrice, with track of zero participation in freedom struggle. The movement working all over the nation striving hard to form a Hindu rastra(Nation), is often in the news due to its relations in riots and communal disturbances. What suddenly itched them to start a movement against corruption?

The real itch

After the break through investigation by Shaheed (Martyr) Hemant Karkare in Malegaon bomb blast case exposed the hands of saffron brigade. Following that one by one the truth surfaced and involvement of RSS and its frontal wings' members hand in the blast came to light. After the interrogation of Indresh Kumar, a national executive member of RSS due to his close relations with late Sunil Joshi (accused as key person behind bomb blast case) and many Sangh functionaries were also arrested in connection to the bomb blast cases. Due to these arrests and investigation by Anti Terrorism Squad the real face of terrorism was made evident.

RSS measures to avoid ban

RSS so far which kept its activities under cover held public meeting and organized protest all over the nation. On 10 November 2010 dharnas (day long protest) were held throughout the nation, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat participated in a protest in Lucknow and RSS General Secretary Bhaiya Joshi participated in Hyderabad.

A RSS Pubic meeting held in Chennai

The situations got worsen for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh when its leader Swami Aseemanand allegedly confessed before a magistrate that he and other Hindu leaders - Indresh Kumar, Pragya Singh and Sunil Joshi - were involved in the Samjhauta Express and other bombings at Muslim religious places, Congress demanded "strict action" against the outfit in the month of January. 
After this incident the demand for banning RSS raised vehemently. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organized a nation-wide campaign door-to-door SAMPARK ABHIYAN for 15 days starting from February 5 to break the "huge conspiracy" to defame its image by coining the term "Hindu terror,"

On Febuary 11, the RSS did something organization old-timers dub as "unthinkable" and "extremely worrying". The Sangh, otherwise known to keep its distance from the national media, called a press conference at its Jhandewalan offices in Delhi. Waiting to address reporters were the Sangh's chief of publicity, Manmohan Vaidya, and its spokesman, Ram Madhav. They had an important announcement to make: the RSS had written to the prime minister, seeking help in the Malegaon, Ajmer and Hyderabad blasts investigation. "It's a first," says a former RSS ideologue. "In its 80-year history, the RSS has never written or spoken to the government or any PM asking for help. It is bewildering why they are doing it now. The Sangh seems to be in dire straits."

The letter by RSS general secretary Suresh Joshi to the PM seeked help in probing what it calls a "political conspiracy" to defame and destabilise the Sangh.

Thus fearing a ban RSS knocked the doors of PM.

But nothing worked as the reports of right wing terror were continuously reported in the media. Thus to deviate the media and people of nation sources say RSS used the campaign against corruption with the aid of Ram Dev. This campaign against corruption has worked well for the Sangh, as it all over and especially media has totally forgotten the bomb blast cases and shifted their attention to attention to corruption. Definitely corruption is a disease but terrorism is a poison. Media which was busy covering the protest has often fails to uncover the hidden agenda.