Whatever the BJP's pronounced intentions, it is now caught between the Hindutva spiritual ideology of its Parivar RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal - and the pressures mounted from the secular-civil and political society. While the BJP in power may appear to have nothing to do with that agenda, the other parivar members would be allowed to push for and implement the agenda ...
The politico-ideological objectives of the RSS, right from the Hedgewar, Savarkar and Golwalkar days, have always been double-edged. Though the RSS was started with a declared enmity towards the Muslim League, opposing Gandhi's Ahimsa-centred satyagraha and Ambedkar's anti- caste and anti-Hindu agitations ... One of the early architects of the RSS ... said, "Gandhi's use of Ahimsa in the non-cooperation movement would uproot the very principle of Hinduism and Aryan philosophy". The early architects were also perturbed over Gandhi's programme of Harijanisation of untouchables and his programme for temple entry for them. ...
Though Savarkar spoke the language of social reform and construction of Hindu nationalism, Hedgewar and Golwalkar were more concerned with the restructuring of Varnavyavasta. Their understanding of Samajika Samarasata (social harmony) never aimed at establishing a casteless society. The RSS's recruitment of cadre, its concept of Hindu cultural nationalism and the food and dress it adopted were all mainly drawn from Brahmin wadas. The only thing that appeared somewhat "unbrahminic" was its shaka training of militancy ... It was a conscious decision of the early Sanchalaks to "Kshatriyaise" Brahmins and other upper caste activists who were drawn into its fold.
What was/is the social reform agenda of the RSS? On its own, the RSS has not conducted any .... temple entry campaigns for the Scheduled Castes. it is yet to tell the nation how many SC, ST, OBCs were made priests by the Sangh Parivar. Did it at least produce prominent leaders from these communities who are in a position to command its organisational structures? While the BJP pretends to be genuinely interested in 33 per cent reservations for women, what kind of political space has it provided for women within the Sangh Parivar? The women's reservation agenda emerged out of Mandal consciousness and the BJP was totally opposed to the Mandal agenda in the beginning. In fact, its Mandir agenda was a response to the ... Mandal agenda. No woman has been allowed to grow in the RSS to occupy the position of party president and no Dalit-Bahujan has occupied the top positions ... The Sangh Parivar till today believes that Jatis and women should play their assigned roles within Varnadharma and pitrusamya. Though India as a nation is defined as Matrubhoomi, the pitru (father) is granted the hegemonic position in the RSS scheme of things.
What is important, however, is that the Sangh Parivar philosophically believes in inequality. Golwalkar once said "My feeling is that nature abhors excessive uniformity. " For them, inequality of castes and women is natural. Historically the Hindutva school did not hesitate to compromise when Dalits and women emerged as rulers but on its own never allowed them to go beyond the parameters of Jati dharm and Nari dharm ...
The BJP and its allies promised the National Agenda for Governance that they would work for "social justice" based on the principle of Samajik Samarasata (social harmony) .... The very fact that the "National Agenda" qualifies social justice with social harmony itself is indicative of the fact that the social justice concept is a Trojan horse of the unprincipled allies and the RSS philosophy has balanced it with social harmony. The hidden agenda is to hoodwink the toiling Dalit-Bahujan masses. The philosophical slogan of the RSS is gyanam, sheelam and ekata (knowledge, character and unity). Its concept of gyanam ... puranic gyanam ... The Hindu notion of sheelam is not based on sacrifice. The images of Hindu dalits are built around heroism. If Indian society has to build its character, it should draw inspiration from the Buddha or from modern personalities such as Phule, Periyar, Ambedkar and so on ...
India as a nation should turn to building up character on the secular and democratic principles, where we cannot invoke the Brahminical symbols in any form. Symbols like Yagya and tapasya are not only anti-Dalit-Bahujan but also anti-production. Ekata or unity can be achieved only by annihilating caste and by establishing democratie relations between different religions ... But because of the deep internalisation of the Varnadharma ideology of the RSS, the language of the Prime Minister and Home Minister even in their administrative functions is reflecting only Brahminical thinking. For example, Advani repeatedly compares the Indian nation to a Ram temple. The Prime Minister compares the "National Agenda" with yagya and tapasya. They very language is anti-secular.
The National Agenda ... gives us the impression that in this so-called yagya the priest and the rulers are going to benefit and the Dalit-Bahujans will be used only as Balipashus (sacrificial animals) ...
