[Reader-list] Hindutva: Projections And Reality! By Ram Puniyani 15 April, 2009 Countercurrents.org

[Venugopalan K M]

-- 
http://venukm.blogspot.com/
Hindutva: Projections And Reality!

By Ram Puniyani

15 April, 2009
Countercurrents.org

RSS is an organization where succession of the top post,
Sarsanghchalak, takes place by nomination by the outgoing Chief.
Recently K.Sudarshan, outgoing one, nominated Mohan Bhagwat as the new
Chief (March 2009). On taking over Bhagwat pronounced that Hindutva is
an emancipatory concept.

The last time the word Hindutva created the confusion was in the case
of corrupt electoral practices by Manohar Joshi, who said that if Shiv
Sena BJP comes to power they will turn Maharashtra into first Hindu
state in the country. He had used the word Hindutva for his politics.
The matter went up to the court, and due to the confusions around the
word Hindutva, court ruled that Hindutva is a way of life! This came
in handy for RSS combine to wriggle out and to assertively use the
word in their political campaigns. Now we hear that Hindutva is an
emancipatory concept.

What is emancipation? In Indian context emancipation stands for the
process which leads to equality of dalits and women. It also stands
for the dignified status of Adivasis and workers. Many of these
processes started during the freedom movement as an accompaniment of
the struggle against British rule. While we were witnessing these
processes steered by the likes of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Gandhi,
the country also saw the politics by Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha
and RSS. This latter trio based their concept of politics around
religious nationalism. For Muslim League it was Islamic Sate, Pakistan
and for Hindu Mahasabha, RSS it was Hindu nation.

Muslim League derived its ideology from the name of Islam and Hindu
Mahsabha and RSS developed the term Hindutva, as the guiding ideology
for Hindu nation. There is lot of parallel between the pattern of
ideology of Muslim League and Hindu Mahsabha, RSS. They all kept aloof
from the freedom movement and the associated processes of social
transformation of caste and gender.

Freedom movement was not only for freedom from the British rule it
also symbolized the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the
values which are emancipator for those oppressed by feudal rule of
Rajas and Nawabs, and the associated clergy (Mullahs, Pastors and
Brahmins). Talking of Hindutva in particular, the term was coined by
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his book "Who is a Hindu" in 1923.
Hinduism is not a prophet based religion. Originally word Hindu began
as a geographical category, for all those living on east of river
Indus. Later all the religious traditions, from caste and gender
hierarchy based Brahmanism to egalitarian streams like Nath, Tantra,
Siddha and Bhakti all came to be covered under the umbrella of
Hinduism. Brahmanism is the dominant tendency within this spectrum,
and currently all things Brahminic are identified as Hinduism. Dr.
Ambedkar pointed out that Hinduism is Brahminic theology.

Savarkar defined Hindu as one who regards this land from Sindhu to
Seas as Fatherland and Holy-land. In this definition all are included
barring Muslims and Christians. Savarkar further went on to coin and
define the word Hindutva. Hindutva, for him is total Hindu ness, a
combination of Aryan race, Culture and values. In essence it came to
mean a politics based on Brahminic values of birth based inequality of
caste and gender. It gives the status of slaves to dalits and women.

RSS picked up the concept of Hindutva from there. Hindu Mahasabha and
RSS both stood for status quo in caste and gender relations. Over a
period of time RSS politics did exhibit these values in practical
form. Contrary to emancipation, RSS ideology wants not only status quo
ante, it wants to push back whatever little process of transformation
of Dalits and women has taken place during last few decades.

Beginning with gender, RSS is an exclusively male organization. Its
women wing is subordinate to it, it is Rashtra Sevika Samiti. Here,
Swayamsevak for men, Sevika for women. The word swayam, self, is
missing in women's organization. Lets be clear, according to all male
dominated patriarchal organizations, Taliban , Fascists, Christian
fundamentalists or RSS, women?s self is in the pocket of men. Women
are subordinate, are property of men. So they are to be dictated,
controlled. So one of RSS trained swayamsevak, Pramod Mutalik forms
Shriram Sene and beats up women. They dictate that women should be
doing or wearing, this that and the other.

As far dalits are concerned Dr. Ambedkar goes on to assert that dalits
need to learn, organize and struggle for their rights, for equality.
RSS has come up with Samajik Samrasta Manch, to co-opt the dalits at
subordinate position within the present social structure where dalits
remain subjugated in the social system. RSS also has the ideology of
integral humanism. This essential part of Hindutva politics argues
that as the human body has different organs doing their different
functions, similarly our society has different groups doing their job.
A change in their roles will create disequilibrium, which will be
detrimental to the smooth functioning of society.

One does concede that the language of RSS is very subtle and clever,
but its actions regularly show what it means. RSS is the Father of all
other organizations working for Hindu nation, Hindutva. The politics
it has unleashed through BJP, VHP, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram etc. does
regularly show the real intent of RSS. Few samplers- BJP
Vice-president Rajmata Scindia endorsing Sati tradition,
VHP-leadership endorsing the killings of dalits in response to the
killings of dalits in the aftermath of Gohana, on the issue of
cow-slaughter. RSS repeatedly emphasizes the ancient glory of the
times when Manusmriti, standing for slavery of women and shudras, was
the rule.

One is happy to know that the new RSS chief knows the word
emancipation. So far so good, as he can't go beyond parroting this
word as the meaning of the word is totally against the agenda of RSS,
which is opposed to emancipation and stands for suppressing the low
caste, and women in perpetual subjugation.