The Dawn of a New Age, by Arun Lakshman
Arun Lakshman reporting from the state of Kerala in India for ‘The Pioneer’:
In Kerala, as in other states of India, M.S.Golwalkar(Gurji)’s birth centenary was a year-long program aimed at stimulating mass opinion on the single most important issue before the nation: Terrorism
The year-long centenary birth celebrations of the second Sarsanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, popularly known as “Guruji” is coming to a close this Sunday. In Kerala, as in the rest of India, the events planned and executed by the Sangh were some of the most memorable public displays of intellectual articulation ever conducted by any organization in the State. The discipline of the cadre, the participation of the Hindu community and the presence of political leaders, social workers and other change makers has really given added boost to the RSS’s image in a State where Leftist rhetoric often clouds people’s perceptions on Hindutva.
When the RSS had decided to undertake a year-long program, skeptics had pooh-poohed the claim and had mocked that the show would be called off midway. True to its nature as a disciplined and trained organization, the Sangh proved to the world at large that there is no word called “impossible” in its dictionary and scheme of things. It worked tirelessly according to a set plan.
One of the major aspects of the year-long Guruji centenary celebrations was the number of seminars and intellectual gatherings organized by the Sangh. Three national seminars were held of which the Sarsanghachalak of the RSS, KS Sudershan, took part in one. Other leading lights of the Sangh’s school of thought like S Gurumurthy and KN Govindacharya also participated. According to J Nandakumar, the Sahapranth Pracharak of the RSS, three national seminars, 45 one-day seminars and more than 50 three-day intellectual discussions were held throughout the State at select locations. There were 156 Visala Hindu Sammelans in connection with the centenary celebrations of Guruji ,who has given the RSS its present-day organizational network.
The intellectual discussions were focused primarily on the foundation of Indian culture and there were seminars with terrorism as the major subject. There was particular emphasis on terrorism as the focus for discussion as feedback from independent observers and social scientists, as also reports from the well-knit organizational machinery, had resonated with the consensus that terrorism deserved top priority in the national discourse. Even Defence Minister AK Antony was candid enough to admit that Kerala is a soft target for terror because of the ease with which terrorists use its long seacoast for infiltration.
Another important milestone for the Guruji centenary celebrations in Kerala was the presence of the leadership of almost all Hindu organizations at the various seminars. Senior leaders from the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana and the Nair Service Society, the most powerful Hindu organizations representing the Ezhavas and the Nairs respectively, also graced the events. At the local level, leaders of almost all the sub-groups of the Hindu organization participated. This gave the centenary celebrations some depth among the various Hindu movements and it has contributed to the image of the RSS as an umbrella organization for different Hindu movements and social groups. This was not the case till some years back.
The participation of people with Leftist leanings and the presence of even Muslim intellectuals contributed much to the projection of the inclusiveness of Guruji’s vision. Senior Sangh leaders are of the opinion that such participation from different spheres of Malayalee society has helped the movement to communicate its message among disparate groups. By engendering discussion between intellectuals with diametrically opposite views, the RSS has certainly overcome its victim hood to popular misconceptions spun by Communists for the sake of their own survival.
The year-long celebrations also prompted many people who had withdrawn from public life to come out and participate in the historic churning of ideas which Guruji’s birth centenary sparked off. Many shakhas, or basic units of the RSS, had long gone into slumber. These were rejuvenated and the RSS cadre got a morale boost. It was a time to recall not only Guruji’s intellectual life, but also his role as an organizer of men. From the RSS’ point of view, the year was one of exceptional importance as it truly gave the organization a new lease of life in Kerala where it is reeling under attacks from the twin sources of national threat - Communism and fundamentalism.
An RSS office bearer of Thirunavaya in Malappuram district, Ravi, was murdered. According to Nandakumar, this could only be part of a larger game played by Islamist terrorists and their Communist backers to put a break on the march of the RSS. More than organizational jealousy and hatred, there was another motive. A large number of Muslims from poor and ordinary background were slowly coming back to the mainstream discarding the fundamentalist outfits. The Islamist organizations were worried at the growing acceptability of these festivals among ordinary Muslims.
Arun Lakshman is the Managing Editor of the Kerala edition of ‘The Pioneer’ news paper. Pioneer is a 142 year old English daily. You can read it at http://www.dailypioneer.com. Please feel free to contact Arun at lakshman.arun@gmail.com.
Email This Post