... The RSS is doing a fine balancing act, trying its best to retain the government as well as the Opposition spaces. The thinking apparently is to use the friendly government at the Centre to further the Sangh agenda while not letting the cadre feel disillusioned and drift away from the party.

"We are like Krishna during the Mahabhiarat, having to fight the enemy with a man who pawned his wife" is how a veteran RSS pracharak explained the situation. But be sure the BJP-led government serves the RSS purpose. And whatever be the much-hyped disillusionment of the cadre, the BJP remains the party that assures a "friendly environment for the Sangh's social work."

Friendliness is explained by a senior pracharak thus: "More resources are at our disposal than ever." The RSS leaders while addressing the volunteers, might decry the political class which obviously includes the BJP, but later in press conferences they try to moderate the impact of the earlier statements ...

The pracharak pramukh Suresh Rao Ketkar was asked whether the RSS accepted VHP chief. Ashok Singhal's stand ... (His) answer was: "We would wait for the government's permission and the courts decision, while trying to explain our position to the government that the temple should be built.

... So at one level, the Sangh is projecting a new moderate image of an open organization meant solely for social service which has friendly relations with a multi-party government which is bound by several limitations. At the other level, the Sangh is acutely aware of the growing anti-incumbency factor against the Union government and more importantly, the confusion within the ranks about the blatantly anti-swadeshi policies of the government. And again, the Sangh is sensitive to the effective utilization of the Opposition space which over the years had helped it and its affiliates to grow ...

A senior leader while discussing the issue of the cadres attitude towards the government admitted that the Sangh's control over the Opposition space can be in jeopardy, but he added, so long as it takes the lead in raising economic as well as political issues against the government, it need not overtly bother about losing out its cadre. But how long can the Sangh defend the government and oppose its policies? Wouldn't its cadre see through the duplicity? RSS leaders are sure they will manage the contradiction ... (Source: The Times of India, 15 October, 2000)