Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

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Followers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh exercising in Nagpur 2011

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS ( Hindi , m., राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ, rāṣṭrīya svayamsevak sangh, "National Volunteer Organization") is a radical - Hindu or fascist, hierarchically structured cadre organization. It is based on the principles of the Hindutva . The RSS was founded in 1925 by Keshava Baliram Hedgewar and is "the largest volunteer corps in the world" according to the BBC . The RSS has since gained prominence and political influence, culminating in the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), considered the political wing of the Sangh movement.

organization

The nucleus of RSS is the Shakha , where members meet several times a day or a week for sporting exercises and ideological training. There are currently over 25,000 Shakhas throughout India. The RSS is structured hierarchically and is controlled by a single person, the Sarsanghachalak . The occupation is decided by mutual agreement when a Sarsanghachalak appoints his successor. The RSS's current Sarsanghachalak is KS Sudarshan . Most of the organizational work of the Sangh is done through the coordination of Shakhas (i.e. "branches", "departments"). These Shakhas are considered to be the building blocks of the RSS structure. The activities of a Shakha consist of yoga , competitions (including stick fighting ), in-depth discussion of social issues, prayers to Bharat Mata (Mother India), and educational instruction ( Bouddhik ) from a respected personality selected by the Shakha coordinator. Usually the instruction relates to the history of India , Indian philosophy , Indian culture, or ethics .

criticism

In 1948 the RSS was banned. This happened in connection with the assassination attempt on Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse , a radical Hindu who wanted to prevent Gandhi's policy of understanding towards the Muslims . Godse was a former member of RSS and Congress . The suspicions were cleared after an investigation and the ban on sangh was lifted the following year.

Critics often consider the Sangh to be too radical and the Hindutva philosophy as nationalistic. RSS supporters allege that their main demand was to stop the Indian government's policy of mutual understanding towards Muslims, as demonstrated by the handling of the controversial Shah Bano case and government subsidies for the Hajj . Critics say that this is fueling anti-Muslim resentments that pro-Hindu policies such as tax breaks for Hindu families, the financing of Hindu pilgrimages, etc. are ignored.

ideology

The declared aim of the RSS and the Hindutva movement is primarily to restore basic rights to the Hindus who have been suppressed for years in their own homeland ( India ) and to correct historical injustice. This is criticized as an attempt to change the secular foundations of the Indian state. The most serious conflict in this context occurred during the conversion of the Ayodhya temple, where it was claimed that the Babri mosque was built by the Muslim leader Babur in the 16th century after he had destroyed the pre-existing Ram Janmabhumi temple according to the Hindu style Believe the birthplace of the legendary mythological Rama . Critics say that the Sangh was just trying to stir up trouble because there are at least 50 temples in Ayodya that claim to be the birthplace of Rama. A controversial study by the Archaeological Survey of India found in 2003 that a temple-like building on site is said to have stood before the mosque was built.

The RSS summarizes the term Hindu culturally, racially and also ethnically. The former member of the RSS, Des Raj Goyal , who wrote a polemic against the RSS, defines the worldview of the RSS as follows:

“Hindus have lived in India since time immemorial. The Hindus are a nation because culture, civilization and life have only been contributed through them. Non-Hindus are conquerors or guests and cannot be treated as equals until they have adopted Hindu traditions, culture, etc. The non-Hindus, especially the Muslims and Christians, are enemies of all that is Hindu and therefore must be treated as a threat. The freedom and progress of this country are the freedom and progress of the Hindus. The history of India is the history of the struggle of the Hindus to protect and maintain their religion and culture against the attacks of these foreigners. The threat continues as power is in the hands of those who do not believe this nation is a Hindu nation. Those who speak of national unity as the unity of all those who live in this country are motivated by their selfish desire to buy the votes of the minorities. That is why they are traitors. The unity and consolidation of the Hindus is the most urgent need of the hour as the Hindu people are surrounded on all sides by enemies. Hindus must develop the capacity for massive retaliation, and attack is the best defense. The lack of unity is at the root of all the difficulties the Hindus face, and the Sangh was created with the divine mission to establish that unity. "

- Of the Raj Goyal : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Radha Krishna, New Delhi 1979, p. 179

Development of the RSS

Since it was founded in 1925, the RSS has established itself in every area of ​​society. So was prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 during the brief military conflict with China so impressed that he was a Sangh contingent to participate in the parade on Republic Day invited on January 26, 1963rd For two days 3,000 Swayamsevaks paraded in full Sangh uniform.

In recent years the RSS has positioned its people in the highest political offices in Indian politics. These include Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Ex-Prime Minister), Lal Krishna Advani (Ex-Interior Minister) and Narendra Modi (Prime Minister since 2014, previously Chief Minister of Gujarat State ). Due to the change of government in 2004, the influence on current federal politics was less great, but the landslide electoral success of the BJP in the parliamentary elections in 2014 (31% of the vote, 52% of the mandates) and the subsequent assumption of office of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister has the position of the RSS strengthened again.

Organizations influenced by RSS

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  • Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
  • Seva Bharti
  • Vidya Bharti
  • Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
  • Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
  • Vishwa Hindu Parishad

See also

literature

  • WK Andersen, SD Damle: The Brotherhood in Saffron. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Revivalism. New Delhi 1987.
  • T. Basu, P. Datta et al. a .: Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags. A Critique of the Hindu Right. New Delhi 1993.
  • T. Delfs: Hindu Nationalism and European Fascism. Comparison, transfer and relationship history. Hamburg-Schenefeld 2008.
  • AT Embree: The Function of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. To Define the Hindu Nation. In: ME Marty, RS Appleby (Ed.): Accounting for Fundamentalisms. The Dynamic Character of Movements. Chicago / London 1994, pp. 617-652.
  • C. Jaffrelot (Ed.): The Sangh Parivar. A reader. New Delhi u. a. 2005.
  • C. Jaffrelot: The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India. New York et al. a. 1996.
  • K. Jayaprasad: RSS and Hindu Nationalism. Inroads in a Leftist Stronghold. Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi 1991, ISBN 81-7100-353-2 .
  • Kewalram Ratanmal Malkani: The RSS Story. Impex India, New Delhi 1980.
  • J. Rösel: Ideology, Organization and Political Practice of Hindu Nationalism. Teaching, rituals and effects of the RSS and the BJP. In: International Asia Forum. Vol. 25, No. 3-4, 1994, pp. 285-313.
  • K. Voll, U. Skoda (ed.): The Hindu nationalism in India. Rise - Consolidation - Fall? Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-89998-067-0 .
  • Lisa Janz: “OVERHEAD THINKING: Hindu nationalism equals Hindu fascism?”, In: Michael Arndt and Marcel M. Baumann (eds.): Understanding India. Theses, reflections and approaches to religion, society and politics , pp. 35–39, Heidelberg and Berlin: Springer, 2016.

Web links

Commons : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ India: Millions of people suddenly illegal , Tagesschau.de, August 30, 2019.
  2. ^ Official website of the Election Commission of India , accessed May 17, 2014.