Q&A Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe: ‘BJP, RSS have an organic relationship’

There has been a lot of controversy over the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh over the Narendra Modi government? What do you feel about this? Do you agree?
There is absolutely no question of any controversy. Many have already stated the fact that the origins of the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party are in its relationship with the RSS. It’s an organic relationship. Our ideological motivation comes from the RSS. Beyond that there is no question of any overarching influence of the RSS, whatsoever.

The RSS control over the government has been compared to Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council that controlled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government. Is there any resemblance?
It is ridiculous to think this way. There absolutely is no resemblance. The NAC was essentially a special purpose vehicle created only for
Mrs Sonia Gandhi to wield her influence over the decision-making of the government. As I understand, influencing decision-making of the government was never and is not on the agenda of the RSS. The RSS is engaged in and pre-occupied with various other activities of social service and human development.

Why is it that everyone who is elected/nominated to any post in the government goes and calls on the RSS chief in Nagpur? Even the chief minister of Maharashtra, Mr Devendra Fadnavis, called on the RSS after he was elected. Is it because they all owe their positions to the RSS?
Again, this is a misperception created by many in the media and others who simply cannot understand the organic relationship between various organisations inspired by the RSS. Firstly, it is wrong to suggest that everyone goes to Nagpur to meet RSS leaders. It is a baseless generalisation. Yes, some might have visited the Sangh headquarters and would have met RSS leaders like one goes to meet and seek blessings of senior family members. When many of us belong to one ideological family, when our source of motivation is common, it is natural for us to visit RSS leaders and seek guidance. This eyebrow raising is not necessary as it comes from crass lack of understanding of the relationship dynamics.

Recently the Union ministers for agriculture, power, labour, information and broadcasting had to present themselves before the RSS leaders and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh etc. It was said the meeting was held to assure “better coordination between the RSS and the Modi government”. What does this mean? What are they going to coordinate? How will it work?
What is so newsy about ideologically related organisations coming together for tallying notes? We work towards the same objective and with the same passion for national reconstruction and hence better coordination is always needed. Which is why there are such meetings.

All the strategic posts like general secretary etc, are occupied by RSS men. The RSS is a nationalist Hindu cultural organisation and it posts its members in strategic positions in the BJP. It is the RSS chief that decided that Mr Modi should run for Prime Minister when there were several others — from Nitin Gadkari to Sushma Swaraj — who were in the running. It was the RSS that made Rajnath Singh the then president of the party when Mr Gadkari was a favourite. Is the RSS trying to rule India through the backdoor? Is the RSS trying to eventually impose a Hindu rashtra?
All that you are suggesting is factually incorrect. It is the BJP that requires quality manpower and as and when needed, the RSS considers their requests and accordingly manpower deployment happens with mutual understanding. And why only take a handful of names? Most leaders in the BJP have some organisational and, therefore, emotional relationship with the RSS and that is but natural. RSS leadership is active not only nationally, but also globally. The RSS neither has the time nor the inclination to rule the country through backdoor. And where is the question of imposing Hindu rashtra? The RSS believes that India is a Hindu rashtra and this conviction is there right since Sangh’s inception.

Do you think that the secularists and the left are paranoid about the RSS trying to impose a Hindu rashtra in a country as diverse as India? How would you describe Hindu rashtra or a Hindu nation?
How do I know whether they are truly paranoid or just creating a fear psychosis? There absolutely is no reason for any paranoia. The RSS has explained it time and again that the idea of Hindu rashtra has nothing to do with theocracy. India has never ever accepted theocracy. When the Sangh says Hindu rashtra it means celebration of “ekam sat vipra bahuda vadanti (diversity is at the core).” India has always believed in spiritual democracy and which is why pluralism has sustained here — as against several other countries in Asia — for centuries.

Human resources development minister Smriti Irani’s department seems to be taken over by the RSS. There is an attempt to rewrite history books and introduce what is called Indian culture into education. Whilst this may be a good thing, could you explain what the RSS means by “Indian culture”? If some members of the Sangh Parivar are to be taken seriously then women would have to be in purdah. You have people saying who could be considered Indian and Hindus and who cannot. There is a lot of hate speeches being made, like the latest hate speech by Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti that brought the Rajya Sabha functioning to a halt. The situation is getting scary specially since neither the Prime Minister nor the RSS leaders condemn such attitudes, except in generalities. Do you think this is a cause for worry?
Indian culture is a shared ethos of which, as I said earlier, spiritual democracy and sustainable pluralism are the pillars. Several RSS leaders have said that one cannot deny the fact that India is secular primarily because Hindus are in majority. In that sense, Hindutva or Hinduness is the spirit of accommodation. We have never accepted monopoly of a belief system or hegemonic view about a singular path towards salvation.

As far as women are concerned, the BJP is the only party that has given 33 per cent quota for women in the party organisation. We firmly believe in gender justice and any talk about purdah etc is absolutely unacceptable. Sadhvi Jyoti’s comment has already been rejected by the Prime Minister; the double standards of Congress are out in the open. They never sought an apology from those who used terms like “maut ka saudagar”, or from those who said that young boys go astray while defending rapists in Uttar Pradesh. This is selective concern for use of proper language. The inexperienced lady from a backward class was a soft target for the Opposition and hence they have come down heavily.