#RSS – Wolf in sheep’s clothing . #BJP #CONGRESS #AAP

BY ASHOK NATH  (IAS RETD)

For a long time now the RSS has been going around masquerading as a social cultural organisation( sheep’s clothing ) with no interest in politics; and it has fooled people into thinking it was so. But in recent times it started to shed its clothing little by little. We saw it backing Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate and then saw it campaign vigorously during the Lok Sabha campaign of 2014. But a few days ago it finally shed its sheep’s clothing completely and the wolf came out baring its fangs. This was the RSS-BJP coordination meeting organised on a grand scale.
Minister after Minister of the Modi Government trotted out to give presentations or report cards to the RSS bigwigs, like school kids before their headmaster. The Government is supposed to have been ticked off for not sticking to the ideology of the parivar in matters, especially education and economic policies. They have insisted that Sanskrit should be taught from early childhood and English introduced much later in life. Nobody seems to have noticed that one of the grievances of the Patel agitation in Gujarat is their lack of knowledge of English puts them at a serious disadvantage with other sections of society.
According to the Parivar the children should be taught more about the fantastic invention and discoveries of the ancient past a la Batra. We developed the atom bomb, invented the aeroplane. We were experts in plastic surgery, evident in transplanting of an elephant’s head on Ganesh. What Poppycock! Mixing mythology with history is the most dangerous thought process with which to confuse young minds. This skewed thinking is going to push education into the pits.
Saffronisation is not the only danger. These self styled educationists think only in terms of teaching the three R’s, that is reading, writing and arithmetic. This is not education. It is only making a person literate. Education is more than literacy. Here, I cannot help but quote Dr. Radhakrishnan, the doyen of education: ” The aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important, or acquisition of technical skills, though essential in modern society, but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens.”  I am afraid the quality of teachers at present is pathetic, both in schools and colleges. We have to train the teachers first to inculcate in them the right teaching skills, the right attitude as well as aptitude, the patience to deal with children who are a bit slow in learning. If this is not done we will go on producing robots– no creativity, no innovative capability and no self esteem.  To quote another educationist:” A good teacher is one who has all the answers; a great one who asks all the right questions, and the ideal one who teaches his students to ask all the right questions.”
The wolf has already trespassed into education. Its entry into the economic sphere is more insidious. The Sangh Parivar’s economy philosophy is the very antithesis of what the country desperately needs at this critical juncture, issues which are dear to Modi’ heart. They are opposed to the BJP’s land acquisition bill which is perceived as anti farmer; they are opposed to FDI of 49% in Insurance; they are opposed to 49% FDI in defence; they are opposed to labour reforms; they are opposed to privatisation of PSUs; they are opposed to disinvestment in PSUs. They are opposed to bring in the private sector players in the Railways. Where the hell is economic growth to come from? These very core issues form the central plank of Modi’s  ‘Make in India’ policy. Do you see any similarity between the Parivar economy philosophy and the CPM’s ideology ? DITTO ! In fact the economic philosophy of the Sangh Parivar can be described in just three words: ” Marxism + Cow “.
This confused economic philosophy  of the Parivar together with a heavy dose of Hinduvta injected into it is responsible for the idiotic Fatwa issued by the Maharashtra Government banning beef. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that it was targeted against a particular community whose very livelihood depends upon the trade of slaughter of cattle. In their blind haste to issue this Fatwa they forgot about the catastrophic consequences it would bring to the farmers of Maharashtra. The havoc they have caused in the rural areas of the State especially Marathwada is to seen to believed. The poor farmers are facing one of the deadliest droughts in years. The crops have wilted, water sources are drying up. Human beings are crying for water. There is not enough of it to go around. On top of it they are saddled with useless cattle which they cannot sell because of the ban. They don’t have enough water for themselves. How are they expected to give water to the worthless cattle? Where is the fodder going to come from? These poor folks have been crushed by a doubly whammy. It is no wonder that more than 600 farmers have committed suicide in the last few months. When they issued the Fatwa the Government  trumpeted from the rooftops that Gaushalas will be set up to take care of the useless cattle.  Also, fodder will be freely made available to farmers. Till date nothing has come up. In the meantime people are dying, the cattle are dying. The farmers don’t even have the wherewithal to even bury the dead cattle. The CM, I believe, is on a trip to Japan. The monsoon is partly to blame but mostly it is nothing but a man made disaster. And nobody is responsible. Nobody is accountable. This is incredible India!
We have now seen how the wolf, having discarded its camouflaged clothing, has entered the realm of education, economics and politics. They say having a ‘ finger in every pie’. Very true. The wolf has is paws in every facet of life. The RSS has a more pernicious role to play. It is the umbrella organisation to a host of fringe fundamentalist units: VHP, Bajrang Dal, the Ram Sene and sundry other outfits. They comprise illiterate, mentally challenged lumpen elements who are holding the entire society to ransom. These goons go about thrashing women who are dressed in jeans or are having a beer, they vandalise art exhibitions, beat up people and even murder those with whom they don’t agree. Recent cases of Kalburgi, Dabholkar and Pansare come to mind. They have no tolerance for freedom of expression. Because of their pressure weak Governments are quick to ban films, books, beef, jeans etc. couples holding hands are harassed by these goons or even arrested by over enthusiastic police. Valentine Day festivities are disrupted in the name of protecting our Indian culture.
The Sangh Parivar has declared itself the sole authority on Hinduism, the sole protecters of its culture, the only patriotic citizens in this country. What a laugh. They have forgotten their Constitution, which for them is a thorn, for their ambitious designs of having a Hindu Rashtra. They have forgotten that we are pluralistic and secular society. They have forgotten their Rabindranath Tagore who said, ” Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. ” Or for that matter the words of Voltaire in the 18th century: ” I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend unto death your right to say it.”  These beautiful words, will of course, be like ‘ Bhans ke samne been bajana ‘ to these illiterate, lumpen, mentally challenged dregs of society.