Now that many of our top leaders have re-affirmed their loyalties to the RSS, the pretence that the organisation was - and is - only social and cultural without any interest in politics may be forgotten. Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee went on record to say "once a swayamsevak forever a swayamsevak". Home Minister L .. K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi (both accused in the destruction of the Babari Masjid), Chief Ministers and Governors of some states have also confirmed their loyalties to the RSS.

Unfortunately, the RSS has no constitution (nor) a list of members and keeps no accounts of donations or expenses. But it has spawned a large number of sub-organisations which carry out its programmes among workers, students, civil servants and (masses). The Bharatiya Jana Sangh and its successor, the BJP, are its offspring.

The earliest studies of the RSS were made. By Americans connected with the CIA - J.A. Curran and Craig Baxter. A comprehensive account of the RSS is available in D.R. Goyal's RRS brought up-to-date and repyblished (Radha Krishna). Goyal was once a member of the RSS and knows what he is writing about.

The RSS was founded by K.B. Hedgewar (1889-1940) un Vijaya Dashmi (Dussehra) day in 1925 in Nagpur ... unly five members ... The idea was to organise a body of Hindu boys, drill and train them to be able to face Muslim groups as in communal riots. Their hero was Shivaji.

The province that it was apolitical was shed: the RSS was the force behind the Hindu Jana Sangh and is today the invisible puller of strings of the BJP leadership. The new supremo, K.S. Sudarshan, is not likely to loosen the RSS hold on the BJP. One has to stretch one's credibility beyond limits to accept the RSS'claim of being secular ... (Source: The Hindustan Timnes, 11 November, 2000)