RSS Post-Emergency Journey: Steering through political chaos and strengthening organisation

The RSS has remained unperturbed by political developments and has continued to focus on its organisational work.

(RSSFACTS is a column that demystifies the functioning, organisational structure and ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.)

The period between 1977 and 1980 is one of the most interesting phases for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). During this time, its ideological mentee, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), had merged with the Janata Party, which had unseated the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government. This era saw the RSS navigating its relationship with the Janata Party, which comprised leaders from various political ideologies. The way the RSS managed this complex situation, as well as its regrouping after a 19-month brutal ban aimed at dismantling the organisation, offers valuable insights into its unique functioning and its approach to politics, politicians, and political parties.

On March 21, 1977, the ban on the RSS was lifted, and the third RSS Sarsanghchalak, Balasaheb Deoras, was released from jail. As soon as he was freed, Balasaheb resumed his nationwide tour. Despite being hounded by the Indira government; his message was clear: there should be no vindictiveness. “The credit for the victory has been given to the RSS. It is time for us to be large-hearted. We need to bring change in the hearts of those who did not treat us well,” Balasaheb said while addressing a mammoth gathering in Nagpur in March 1977.

On April 9, 1977, a huge welcome procession comprising thousands of swayamsevaks took Balasaheb from the New Delhi Railway station to a stage set up nearby. Several top leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Dattopant Thengadi, Madhavrao Muley and Madhu Dandvate spoke from the same platform welcoming Balasaheb. Dandvate, a leading socialist leader, had spent considerable time with Balasaheb in Yerwada jail and that led to his change in views about the RSS.

Balasaheb also interacted with journalists on the same day during his visit and clearly said that it was time to do away with bitterness and all should come together to strengthen the democracy. He also met the newly elected Prime Minister Morarji Desai and discussed the RSS’ ideology of ‘Hindutva’, explaining to him that it is an all-inclusive ideology and believes in taking everyone along.

Next day, he was felicitated at a public function. Dharam Vira, a widely respected public figure and former Governor of West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka presided over it. The latter had also worked as Cabinet Secretary from 1964 to 1966 when Congress Party was ruling at the Centre. Earlier, Dharam Vira had worked as Principal Private Secretary to India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Balasaheb spoke at length on this occasion to expose how the Indira Gandhi government conspired to malign RSS.

Balasaheb also revealed on this occasion that the authorities had raided all the RSS offices across the country during the emergency but couldn’t find even a shred of incriminating material. He spoke at length in this function about the reasons for imposing a ban on the RSS by the Indira government. It was primarily because the RSS’ swayamsevaks were participating very actively in the JP movement, he informed the audience.

During his stay in Delhi, the issue of ‘Muslims in RSS’ was also raised by some journalists. Prominent Muslim leaders including Shahi Imam also came and met Balasaheb during those days.

In the following months, the issue of the ‘Muslims in RSS’ was also discussed within the RSS. Balasaheb encouraged entry of Muslims in the organisation. He felt that it would help to ensure that they remain in the mainstream.

At Balasaheb’s felicitation function in Mumbai, Justice (retd.) M.C. Chagla, noted jurist, diplomat and former Cabinet minister, known for his love for civil liberties, said, “I am a Muslim by religion and Hindu by nationality.” Noted legal luminary Nani Palkhivala also attended this function.

In almost every public function that was attended by Balasaheb during those days, Muslim leaders keenly shared the stage with him.

Even as the RSS was initiating a process at social level for various stakeholders to come together to ride over the strife and chasm created during the emergency period so that the country could move towards attaining higher goals, the situation deteriorated fast in the political arena.

The ruling Janata party at the Centre started falling apart. Several leaders of the party were at loggerheads. Many of them approached Balasaheb also who suggested to all of them that they should work together towards nation-building, but there were too many ego clashes. Madhu Limye, a socialist leader, started instigating several of his colleagues to raise the issue of ‘dual membership’ within the party. The move was to check the rising influence of BJS leaders who had merged their party with Janata Party but retained their close ties with the RSS.

Those who were supporting the move by Madhu Limye demanded that either the BJS leaders should remain in the Janata Party or in RSS. They cannot have membership of both. The move was malicious as RSS was a non-political organisation and had no system of formal membership.

This controversy erupted in August 1977, within six months of the Janata Party being sworn in. It was well known that Limye was quite upset about not being made the minister. So, it appears that he decided to wreck the boat.

Balasaheb took the principled stand that the decision regarding association with the RSS has to be taken by the leaders of BJS. As far as Sangh was concerned, it would not break its relationship with anyone under any pressure.

Limye also raised the question about the presence of many central ministers to welcome Balasaheb in Delhi. The then Prime Minister Morarji Desai told his ministers that he would not like them to go in such programmes. Sikander Bakht, a member of the Morarji cabinet and Lok Sabha member from Chandni Chowk in Delhi told Morarji that he didn’t feel there was anything wrong in ministers going to welcome Balasaheb. Bakht himself was amongst those who had gone to attend the programme which was at the origin of this unnecessary controversy.

The bickering not only continued but rather intensified. Meanwhile, unperturbed by all these controversies, Balasaheb decided to expand the organisational network in areas where the RSS hadn’t reached yet. He adopted a three-phased strategy. In the first phase, the RSS focused on activating those members who had been lying dormant for some years. In the second phase, the organisation started connecting with socially marginalised sections of the society. In the third phase, efforts were made to connect with Muslims. The overall objective was to send a message in the society that RSS considers work done by all those who are working for the good of the society as its own work.

The Janata Party government collapsed in 1980 and Indira Gandhi made a comeback at the Centre. The erstwhile members of the BJS formed a new political outfit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. The RSS remained unperturbed by these political developments and continued to focus on its organisational work giving a major thrust to expand its outreach amongst all sections of society.

Earlier RSSFACTS columns can be read here.