The ideological battlefield: Hindutva vs Communism

As RSS celebrates its 100 years, we should reflect upon a strange phenomenon. Why is it that RSS has survived and thrived despite severe state persecution, abetted by a biased media and academia; while Communists who had state patronage, media and academia eating out of their hands, declined terminally in the overground political process? Both, RSS and Communist Party  of India (Not Indian Communist Party) were born in the same year 1925. Officially, Communist Party was founded by M N Roy on December 25, 1925. RSS was founded on Vijayadashami, 27 September, 1925.

Way back in the Emergency era, when I made friends across the political spectrum; I had a Communist friend in St Xavier's college. We were chatting one day in the idyllic colonial staircases, and I told him that the ultimate battle of ideologies in Bharat will be between Sangh and Communists. It was an audacious thought. Remember, Communists were enjoying the perks of power by aligning with Indira Gandhi, controlling both academia and media. Indira ji had given them a free run in economic policies too. RSS was an outsider, an outcast yet, leading the underground struggle to save democracy in Bharat.

One of the most respected ideologues and an activist of RSS, Dattopant Thengdi, had prophesied the collapse of Communism in 1969. I had heard this theory from him directly in one month workshop of RSS in 1973. He presented this view on strong logic, quoting Marx-Engels and Hindu world view.

An earlier version of Communist Party set up on 17 October 1920, as per CPM's own website, in Tashkent, outside Bharat. Communist Party founder SA Dange's mercy petitions to the British in 1924 reveal the Communists subservience to the British from their early days. They had written apology letters to the British district administration over their involvement in the Bolshevik Conspiracy case in Cawnpore (Kanpur). "We the undersigned beg to inform you that we are willing to give an undertaking to Government not to commit any more offences […] we are undergoing suffering which we cannot sustain. We shall be personally thankful to you if you will arrange with our government for our petition be granted…Your most obedient servants, Signed, Shripad Amrit Dange, Nalini Bhushan Das Gupta." A similar letter was sent to the Governor General of Council.

In 1927, under directions of Comintern (The Communist International), and Lenin's influence, Communists declared Congress under Mahatma Gandhi as agents of Capitalists. It is noticeable that Nehru had earlier attended the February 1927. Thus, it was strange spectacle that Nehru identified himself as a Communist and loved Lenin, while Communist Party of India opposed Congress. In 1931, it called Irwin-Gandhi agreement as a betrayal of the people.  Needless to say, Communist Party leaders depended on USSR as their ideological compass & funding brother for a long time.

Where was RSS at that moment? In December 1929 Congress passed a resolution calling for complete freedom, and celebrating January 26, 1930, as Independence Day. Dr Hedgewar, founder of RSS sent letters to all the shakhas to celebrate the day in shakhas, hoisting the decided national flag by the flag committee of Congress, a rectangular Bhagwa flag with a charkha in it in a corner. He exhorted them to explain to the people, importance of freedom from British yoke. Later, in the same year he offered Jungle Satyagraha with 100s of his RSS swayamsevaks was imprisoned for 9 months with hard labour. One should note that Dr Hedgewar had presented a resolution for complete independence to the Resolution Committee of Congress in 1920. He was laughed out.

In 1940, Communists openly supported Muslim demand for a separate Pakistan. They passed a resolution in 1942, where they declared that India was a multi-national state made of at least 16 nations. During the World War 2, Communists first opposed the British government because Russia was antagonist to UK, the biggest capitalist imperialist power. But, when Russia was attacked by Hitler in 1941, Russia joined the Allies. As per directions of Communist Party of Great Britain and Comintern, CPI did a summersault and reached out to the British government in India to allow them to serve the crown.

What was RSS doing at that time? RSS told swayamsevaks that they can either work for building the organization or join Quit India movement in personal capacity. This was in line with the directions of Dr Hedgewar in 1930. He had resigned from RSS to lead the Jungle Satyagraha, because he believed that raising different flags will dilute the impact of the agitation. At least three swayamsevaks  Balaji Raipurkar, Devipad Chaudhari and Jagpati Kumar died to police bullets in Chimur Vidarbha and Patna respectively.

Hemu Kalani from Sindh was hanged. Hundreds were arrested, some of whom became RSS prachaaraks or senior workers later. Many carried injuries for life. My book carries some names.

Communists abused Neta ji, called him worst names, including Tojo's dog, as he had joined the Axis, formed his own Indian National Army and marched towards India to liberate her. In 1946 they presented a proposal to Cabinet Mission that India should be broken into at least 17 sovereign nations. However, RSS always believed in one unified nation. After the partition, this belief led to a call for Akhand Bharat (Undivided India).

After 15th August 1947, Communists rejected this 'azadi', claiming, it was a fake freedom only for proletariat. Why?  because Stalin had called it a capitalist extension of colonial and imperial powers - America and Britain. It launched an armed rebellion that lasted till 1949-50 when it was crushed ruthlessly by the Telangana police, leading to massive desertions.

What was RSS doing at the time of horrific partition? Did millions of Indians enjoy this 'freedom at midnight'? It was organising resistance against the Muslim League goons and saving Hindus and Sikhs from the marauders at the cost of lives of its own swayamsevaks; even helping Congress leaders escape. It set up relief and rehabilitation camps on both recently created western and eastern borders.

In Kashmir, Communists supported sovereign separate Kashmir supporting Sheikh Abdullah, while RSS cadre stood shoulder to shoulder with Dogra and Indian army to save Kashmir. Scores of swayamsevaks lost their lives there too.

In August 1954, RSS freedom fighters under the leadership of Vinayak Apte, liberated Dadra Nagar Haveli, imprisoned Portuguese soldiers and handed over the region to the Indian government.  In 1955, RSS launched a massive satyagraha for liberation of Goa, as Nehru was keeping quiet on slave status and religious violence against Hindus. Another swayamsevak from Ujjain, Rajabhau Mahakal lost his life to Portuguese firing holding aloft Tiranga.

In 1962, Communists supported Chinese, claiming Nehru was responsible for that war. Many collected funds for the Chinese army. V S Achutanandan, former CM of Kerala was suspended from the party for calling for blood donations. In fact, 1962 led to split in Communist party of India into pro-China and pro-Russia parties -  CPM and CPI.

Though RSS had criticized Nehru's policies about silence on Tibet annexation by China and cautioned about possible war, it stood with the government offering every possible help in 1962. RSS was monitoring the traffic in Delhi, carrying rations and other help to jawans on the Indo-China borders.

If we look at these series of events from 1925 to the present, we find that Communists were always guided by internationalism, not national interest;  were guided by the interests of their sources of inspiration - Russia and later, China. They did not believe in Bharat as one nation. They believed in a broken India.

It doctored history by rewriting it under the patronage of Congress to soften and airbrush the atrocities of the invaders, removed many unpleasant truths of history and their own misdeeds using academia. They tarred the reputations of great freedom fighters and real historians of the time. It introduced cancerous Cultural Studies in JNU and other universities.

On the contrary, RSS stood for the nation. Its ideas and philosophies were rooted in Bharat. It believes that Bharat was and is a perennial uninterrupted civilization. While Communists removed nearly all the nuggets of Indian genius in governance, science and technology, RSS kept highlighting them, despite being called orthodox and backward looking. While Communists along with Nehru decried Hindus and their beliefs in a very demeaning way, RSS, stood firm holding aloft high values of Indian civilization.

As the hundred years of the two organisations and current scenario shows, people of Bharat have awoken to the truth of Bharat. While Communists were the biggest opposition party once, have been marginalized to a few seats in Parliament and state assemblies; while once marginalized RSS has taken the centerstage. It is a journey of this nation from western gaze and colonial slavery to her self-realization and renaissance.

Ratan Sharda

References: Kahani Communiston Ki (Sandeep Deo), Sangh & Swaraj (Ratan Sharda), Jyoti Jala Nij Pran Ki (Maneckchand Vajpayee, Shridhar Paradkar)

The writer is Author, RSS Researcher, TV Panelist and a freelance columnist