BR Ambedkar visited 'shakha' in Satara in 1940, claims RSS media wing

A police officer clicks photos of a photo exhibition on Babasaheb B. R. Ambedkar at Chaityabhumi on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas, at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. (File Photo/PTI)

Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, visited a 'shakha' (local unit) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Maharashtra in 1940, the media wing of the Sangh said on Thursday.

During his visit, Ambedkar said he viewed the RSS with a sense of affinity despite differences over certain issues.

The Vidarbha prant of the Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK), the communication wing of the RSS, on Thursday issued a statement in which it gave this information.

As per the statement, the RSS faced a number of challenges in its journey so far and many accusations were levelled against it, but it proved all these charges wrong and reaffirmed its identity as a social organisation, it said.

The RSS was banned three times for various reasons, but it came out unscathed, it said.

"There were accusations of RSS being anti-Dalit and misinformation was spread about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and RSS. But now, a new document about Dr Ambedkar and RSS has emerged, which enlightens the relationship between Dr Ambedkar and RSS," it says.

Ambedkar had visited an RSS 'shakha' at Karad in Satara district on January 2, 1940, where he also addressed the Sangh swayamsevaks (volunteers), it said.

It said that in his address, Ambedkar said, "Although there are differences over certain issues, I look at the Sangh with a sense of affinity."

The VSK statement referred to a report published on January 9, 1940 in "Kesari", a Marathi daily in Pune, about Ambedkar's visit to the RSS 'shakha', and attached a clipping of the news report.

In the write-up, the report gave the reference of a book titled 'Dr Ambedkar Aur Samajik Kranti Ki Yatra' written by RSS ideologue Dattopant Thengadi, which talked about the relationship between the RSS and Dr Ambedkar.

At the beginning of the eighth chapter of the book, Thengadi says that Ambedkar had full knowledge of the RSS. Its swayamsevaks were in regular contact with him and held discussions with them.

"Dr Ambedkar also knew that RSS is a pan-India organisation uniting Hindus. He also knew that there was a difference between outfits loyal to Hindutva or those uniting Hindus and the RSS. There was doubt in his mind about the pace of RSS' growth. In this view, Dr Ambedkar and RSS need to be analysed," the VSK quoted the book as saying.

The VSK statement also said that the allegation that the Sangh is only for Brahmins have been proven wrong today.

It further said Mahatma Gandhi had visited the RSS camp at Wardha in 1934, where he realised that there were volunteers of various castes and religions in the Sangh.

"He experienced first-hand that no swayamsevak in the camp was interested in knowing his own caste or that of other swayamsevaks. There was only one feeling in everyone's mind - that we were all Hindus. That's why, the volunteers carried out their daily activity spontaneously," it said.

"Gandhiji was very surprised to see this. The next day, he held a meeting with (RSS founder) Dr Hedgewar, where he congratulated the latter for the successful implementation of the programme to eradicate untouchability," it added.

The VSK also said the allegations faced by the RSS that it did not honour the national flag and does not hoist the tricolour on August 15 and January 26 were not true.

According to RSS communication wing, it was alleged that the Sangh swayamsevaks did not participate in the Indian freedom struggle.

But when it was told that RSS founder Hedgewar took part in the freedom struggle through 'Jungle Satyagraha' when he was an active worker of Indian National Congress, people and opponents believed, it added.