The RSS is the most influential cultural organization in India today, with affiliates in fields as varied as politics, education and trade. This book fundamentally addresses three key questions: Why has the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates expanded so rapidly over the past twenty-five years? How have they evolved in response to India's new socio-economic milieu? How does their rapid growth impact the country's politics and policy? With unprecedented access, Walter K. Andersen and Shridhar D. Damle lift the curtains to help us understand the inner workings of the Sangh. Backed by deep research and case studies, this book explores the evolution of the Sangh into its present form, its relationship with the ruling party, the BJP, their overseas affiliates and so much more.
This book focusses on how RSS performed, thought, prevented and held on to its own amid heavy odds and hostility in three major theatres of conflict in the modern Indian history, specifically, post-independence.
In 1987, a thirteen-year-old in Rajasthan joins the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Despite his untouchable status, he rises through the ranks. He hates Muslims. He joins the karsevaks to Ayodhya. He is ready to die for the Hindu Rashtra. And yet he remains a lesser Hindu. In this explosive memoir, Bhanwar Meghwanshi tells us what it meant to be an untouchable in the RSS. And what it means to become Dalit.
India is battling for its very soul. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the most powerful organization in India today; complete with a private army of its own, unquestionably obeying its leader who functions on fascist lines on the Fuehrer principle. Two of its pracharaks (active preachers) have gone on to become prime ministers of India. In 1951 it set up a political front, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which merged into the Janata Party in 1977 only to walk out of it in 1980. In issue was its superior loyalty to its parent and mentor, the RSS; not the Janata Party. Within months of its defection, the Jana Sangh reemerged; not with the name under which it had functioned for nearly three decades, but as the Bharatiya Janata Party, deceptively to claim a respectable lineage. The RSS is at war with India's past. It belittles three of the greatest builders of the Indian State - Ashoka, the Buddhist; Akbar, the Muslim; and Nehru, a civilized Enlightened Hindu. It would wipe out centuries of achievement for which the world has acclaimed India and replace that with its own narrow, divisive ideology. This book is a magisterial study of the RSS, from its formation in 1925 to the present day. With scrupulous and voluminous evidence, one of India's leading constitutional experts and political analysts, A.G. Noorani, builds a watertight case to show how the RSS is much more than a threat to communal amity. It poses a wider challenge. It is a threat to democratic governance and, even worse, a menace to India. It threatens the very soul of India. And yet, despite its reach and seemingly overwhelming political influence, the author shows that the RSS can be defeated. The soul of India can be rescued.
Discover the untold story of the RSS leadership with "The Saffron Surge" by Arun Anand, a captivating exploration of one of India's most influential and enigmatic organizations. Prepare to delve deep into the history, ideology, and leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as Anand sheds light on its evolution and impact on Indian society and politics. Uncover the origins and growth of the RSS as Anand takes you on a journey through its formative years and emergence as a formidable force in Indian politics. With meticulous research and insightful analysis, he offers readers a nuanced understanding of the organization's ethos, principles, and goals. Explore the lives and legacies of the RSS leaders who shaped its destiny, from its founding fathers to the present-day stalwarts. Through in-depth interviews and firsthand accounts, Anand provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the RSS and the individuals who have guided its course. Take a closer look at the ideology and worldview that have shaped the RSS's approach to governance, social issues, and national identity. Through careful examination of its core principles and beliefs, Anand offers readers valuable insights into the motivations and strategies of the RSS leadership. The overall tone of the book is one of reverence and respect, as Anand celebrates the dedication, discipline, and vision of the RSS leadership. With its blend of historical narrative, political analysis, and personal anecdotes, "The Saffron Surge" offers a compelling portrait of an organization that has left an indelible mark on Indian society and politics. Since its publication, "The Saffron Surge" has been praised for its thorough research, balanced perspective, and engaging narrative style. It has become a trusted resource for scholars, journalists, and anyone seeking to understand the complex role of the RSS in shaping modern India. Designed for readers interested in Indian politics, history, and society, "The Saffron Surge" offers a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of the RSS leadership and its impact on the nation. Whether you're a student of politics or simply curious about the forces shaping contemporary India, this book provides valuable insights into one of the country's most influential organizations. In conclusion, "The Saffron Surge" is more than just a book—it's a window into the heart and soul of the RSS leadership and the ideological movement they represent. Join Arun Anand on this enlightening journey and gain a deeper understanding of the forces shaping India's political landscape. Don't miss your chance to explore the untold story of the RSS leadership. Grab your copy of "The Saffron Surge" by Arun Anand now and embark on a fascinating journey through the corridors of power and ideology.
The life of Nathuram Godse, the man who shot Gandhi Dhirendra Jha's deeply researched history places Nathuram Godse's life as the juncture of the dangerous fault lines in contemporary India: the quest for independence and the rise of Hindu nationalism. On a wintry Delhi evening on 30 January 1948, Nathuram Godse shot Gandhi at point-blank range, forever silencing the man who had delivered independence to his nation. Godse’s journey to this moment of international notoriety from small towns in western India is, by turns, both riveting and wrenching. Drawing from previously unpublished archival material, Jha challenges the standard account of Gandhi’s assassination, and offers a stunning view on the making of independent India. Born to Brahmin parents, Godse started off as a child mystic. However, success eluded him. The caste system placed him at the top of society but the turbulent times meant that he soon became a disaffected youth, desperately seeking a position in the infant nation. In such confusing times, Godse was one of hundreds, and later thousands, of young Indian men to be steered into the sheltering fold of early Hindutva, Indian nationalism. His association with early formations of the RSS and far-right thinkers such as Sarvakar proves that he was not working alone. Today he is considered to be a patriotic hero by many for his act of bravery, despite being found guilty in court and executed in 1949.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a Hindu nationalist volunteer organization. It is also the parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Prime Minister Modi was himself a career RSS office-holder, or pracharak. This book explores how the RSS and its affiliates have benefitted from India's economic development and concurrent social dislocation, with rapid modernization creating a sense of rootlessness, disrupting traditional hierarchies, and attracting many upwardly mobile groups to the organization. India seems more willing than ever to accept the RSS's narrative of Hindu nationalism--one that seeks to assimilate Hindus into a common identity representing true 'Indianness'. Yet the RSS has also come to resemble 'the Congress system', with a socially diverse membership containing a distinct left, right and center. The organization's most significant dilemma is how to reconcile the assault from its far right on cultural issues like cow protection with condemnations of globalization from the left flank. Andersen and Damle offer an essential account of the RSS's rapid rise in recent decades, tracing how it has evolved in response to economic liberalization and assessing its long-term impact on Indian politics and society.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) continues to make headlines, despite several books tracing its journey. Curiosity about the functioning of the RSS has increased phenomenally as swayamsevaks have risen to top positions in government and the Sangh's core ideas of Hindu Rashtra and Ekatmata have become the mainstream lexicon of our social and political space.
