For nearly ten days, Social Media is ablaze with outrage. All the so-called Right Wing warriors or, let us say, ultra-Hindutva warriors are up in arms against the central government on UGC fracas. Surprisingly, despite the UGC Equity rules being thrown into dustbin and a new framework being created by the responsible authorities under fire from Supreme Court, the outrage has not stopped.
The outrage has turned into a campaign to break the Hindu society; a feat that left-secular forces could not achieve for 75 years, but the ultra-Hindu groups may manage if they have their way. Left secular brigade did not succeed because they were ‘outsiders’, that is, they had no love for Hindu dharma, nor did they understand this nation. For them it was a part of ‘Mission Breaking India’. On the other side RSS was nurturing the Hindu society’s unity by stressing the unifying common elements and raising the point of bias in the political system. With decades of untiring efforts, we saw a society that was ready to rise above the caste divisions. We saw slow decline of casteist political parties, and they had to widen their base by claiming to be what they are not.
Unwittingly, self-proclaimed defenders of Hindutva / Hindu dharma, specially, those who joined the Hindutva procession quite late in life have given a new lease of life to breaking Hindu unity project.
Difference between these warriors and ‘soft’ critics like me and many others is that we criticized the authorities for biased rules, we have reached out to the leaders to warn them of the consequences and suggesting them to relook. On the other hand, the newly awakened ultra-Hindu crusaders have chosen to blow the issue out of proportion and are pouring oil on the flames of caste hatred. And left-seculars are rubbing their hands in glee.
Are the new outrage manufacturers even aware where this is leading to? Are they realizing that they are playing into the hands of the very forces whom they started off to oppose?
Turning Full Circle
As I sat today morning in serious introspection, I realised that clock is turning full circle.
Of those stoking fires some come from earlier secular backgrounds, some mushroomed later looking at opportunities. While the Hindutva warriors for ages welcomed the new entrants, some of the new entrants took rapid steps to join the ride and exploit it, hooking on to some BJP leader or the other. They also latched on to some RSS people, who trust people easily. They became stars. Nothing wrong here.
However, they used it as a good ‘business model’ for self-promotion and making money by tapping the rising wave of awakened Hindus who had become angry or frustrated realizing how seculars short changed them.
This month, ‘saviors’ of Hindus have decided to break the very society that they love so much. The sterling quality of these crusaders is that they see nothing beyond their nose, or TRP counter. Or they would have seen where it is going. Their abuses and their strident criticism of BJP and by guilt by association RSS, are being multiplied by the gleeful left secular groups. The TRP tappers are rejoicing, not ready to concede that this could be counter-productive, larger cause be damned.
From being secular with conviction that it is the best medicine for the nation, turning to Hindutva after realizing their folly is one thing. From Hindutva taking an irrational U-turn to aid Breaking India groups, hoping to ‘teach BJP a lesson’ is saddening.
There is an infamous SM organisation owned and promoted by a man who fought last election on Congress ticket. Its trick till now was to question RSS for mistakes of BJP and ridicule it, abuse it. BJP leaders were happily gracing their programmes without bothering to check their content. The owners are laughing all the way to banks while viewer is fed poison in the name of serving Hindu cause.
YouTube studio activism of such groups has never reached out to the victims of communal riots, or the Hindus persecuted by minorities. They have been seeding poison that further widens the chasm between Hindus and Muslims. They are teaching ‘shatrubodh’ to an organisation like RSS that has sacrificed its swayamsevaks to the cause of security and unity of Hindu society. They are sitting on the shoulder of the same organisation and spitting on it that gave them acceptability. Had they tried their ‘bold’ Hindutva advocacy prior to 2013, they would have been banished by the secular groups whom they are indirectly helping now.
I have given one example. There are many more individuals who have had impeccable secular credentials, but who are now toast of Hindutva followers because they are good at telling Hindus how they are being short changed but beyond that, they expect BJP-RSS to deliver while they pontificate. Working on the ground is a different ball game. Individuals or SM platforms do not have to connect the real people and don’t need to weave a united society. They love their voices and words, not realizing that it is more difficult to unite than to divide. Negative thoughts always spread faster than the positive thoughts. Who knows it better than RSS?
Why RSS?
It is not the first time that RSS is being targeted. I am not talking of Congress and Communists for whom RSS has remained a punching bag because its idea of an immortal perennial civilizational nation of Bharat is anathema to them. Here, I am talking about the Hindutva proponents, who had done a lot of work on ground for reforms and social harmony unlike today’s mudslingers. For example, highly respected Savarkar found RSS too soft, too moderate and he used to taunt it. RSS listened to him respectfully, never hit back. Later in life, he acknowledged that RSS builds constructive organisation which is more important. He became a great senior friend of Shri Guruji.
Shri Guruji did not support linguistic states despite huge public pressure, because he believed that it was a step towards balkanization of India. RSS has never hidden its agenda of uplifting every deprived or sidelined segment of our society. It did not agitate like many ‘samaj sudharak mandals’. It worked on the ground to create a feeling of oneness and harmony. Balasaheb Deoras’s simple message to those in RSS opposing reservations was, “Before speaking just imagine yourself being born in a hut from where our SC/ST brethren come.” RSS took workshops to sensitize its workers about the issue.
RSS stood firm on renaming of Marathwada University as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University when Congress and their friends were playing politics and fiddling with the issue leading to killing of scores of people.
RSS stood up against separatist movements in Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab and North East Region. Its swayamsevaks, senior leaders and pracharaks paid with their lives for the cause. Another reason why Left seculars hate RSS.
Leadership is not about following popular current demands to become popular. It is about standing firm on your views and changing people’s perceptions even if is not understood at that time.
I know of many Hindu organisations who feel that RSS is not doing enough. Afterall, RSS is made of people from the same society. These groups simply put their head down and work actively on those issues. RSS has welcomed and supported such efforts. It is not arrogance, it is humility.
Generally, RSS does not respond to its critics. It doesn’t wish to waste its energy in responding to every criticism. Then why did I choose to speak out today? Because as an individual I can, RSS cannot. Any word of RSS can be twisted by vested interests that will inflame some sections or the other. As long as it was criticism, abuse or even ridiculing of RSS, it was ok. Because it is bad optics in society to speak against your own if they differ with your views.
When this hate campaign has become a tool to divide Hindu society, one must speak up. This is not criticism; this is stoking fires. Many of the critics of UGC, and by corollary, reservations may not even realize how it is dangerous for the Hindus. I too have criticized UGC, NEET and many such policies. But, within bounds of decency; not poisonous language that could create ill-will. Enemies are waiting. UGC is a thoughtless, highly biased piece of legislation. Yes, mindless urge to fill empty medical seats saw unbelievable spectacle of cut-off marks in PG medical that fueled UGC related unrest further. Is the answer abuse? Is the answer more hate?
Those who sought to teach a lesson to Vajpayee’s first NDA government, ended up gifting the government to left cabal for 10 years that gave us corrosive RTE Act that destroyed Hindu charitable schools, misused Hindu mandir funds, treated Hindus as terrorists, tried to bring laws that hurt Hindus, not just favour minorities.
I compare these critics to those who criticized Bajirao Peshwa for his relationship with Mastani – they were responsible for his untimely death. They are like the earlier Kashmiri Pandits who refused to accept converted Hindus back into their fold. These critics belong to the same creed, considering themselves superior to others and living in a world of their own self-belief.
Pause. Think. Rethink. Nothing is above national good.
Ratan Sharda
17-02-2026
P.S.: About neo-Lutyen Hindutva club, some other day.
First published on News18 portal -
https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-all-that-outrage-ugc-protests-project-growing-hindu-divide-ws-l-9918672.html
No comments:
Post a Comment