APPENDIX 8: RSS LANGUAGES OF DECEPTION

Pseudo-secular(ism) – Hindutva organizations claim that the protection of minorities, including recognition of cultural distinctiveness or representation, affirmative action and related policies in a democratic society is illegitimate. This is also considered to be a ‘pseudo-secular’ effort by non-Hindutva parties to win ‘vote banks’ from minorities. However, Hindutva itself is not about creating a more genuine or expansive democratic secularism – its overriding aim is to create a Hindu nation-state. In Hindutva ideology, simply the presence of minority groups in a democracy is seen as a grievous insult to the ‘Hindu nation’.

Hindutva guarantees ‘genuine secularism’ or positive secularism – the falsehood here is based on two claims: first, that Hinduism has always been tolerant, liberal and accommodating of other (Hindu) sects and traditions within it; and second, that Hindutva guarantees secularism. Neither claim is empirically or historically valid.

Integrate into the national mainstream – make groups, especially dalits and adivasis into supporters of Hindutva and the Hindu nation. ‘Mainstream’ is the RSS word for a vision of Hindu society organized by it.

Social harmony (samajik samarashta) or social integration – make dalits and adivasis give up their independent movements for emancipation and their autonomous aspirations. ‘Social harmony’ or ‘integration’ is about evading embedded caste barriers, accepting the legitimacy of the brahminical caste order and reducing dalit oppression to a question of personal understanding and contact. The RSS frequently calls for the banning of the word ‘untouchability’, but it has never called for the banning of the caste (varna) system. The overriding aim is to ‘purify’ dalits, integrate them into caste Hinduism and make them adopt the Hindutva world-view.

Social integration, not social conflict – the RSS views any independent movements for social justice as threats to its vision of an organic Hindu nation. ‘Social integration’ is an attempt to subvert or displace dalit and other movements for social justice.

Social upliftment – into a hierarchical caste order

Anti-social or anti-national forces or ideas – autonomous movements for social justice, independent identities, regionalist, secessionist or autonomous movements, Islam, Christianity, secularism, Hindus who oppose Hindutva

Inculcate patriotism or nationalism – allegiance to Hindu nationhood not to the secular, liberal and democratic ideas of nationalism that grew from the Indian independence movement, or in post-Independence India. When Hindutva groups speak of ‘patriotism’ or ‘nationalism’, they do not mean loyalty to the democratic, federal, secular union of India, but to the ‘Hindu nation’ and to Akhand Bharat (‘Undivided India’). The ‘Hindu nation’ of the RSS includes not just the borders of India but Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, all of Myanmar, much of Afghanistan, and chunks of other south-east Asian countries.

Culture, cultural values – this is not ‘Indian culture’, but represents the Hindutva idea of ‘sanskriti’, brahminical, upper-caste, northern Indian religions as modified by the RSS

All round development – physical, mental and spiritual training of individuals into the RSS vision of Hindutva

Inculcation of time honoured values and traditions, the values of Bharatiya Sanskriti, Dharma and patriotism – education into Hindutva

Imparting the correct sanskars, moral development – ideological inculcation of Hindutva

Moulding personalities – turning individuals into RSS volunteers (swayamsevaks) working in the service of the Hindu nation

Character building – a key RSS phrase, related to physical and ideological discipline inculcated in RSS shakhas

The noble task of nation-building – creating the Hindu nation

Noble causes – those related to the aims of Hindu sangathan

Selfless service – the idea of the ideal RSS member who is prepared to forego other personal desires in favour of service for the key purpose of sangathan and Hindu nation

Like-minded organizations, people or thinking – a euphemism for RSS affiliates, organizations or individuals supporting RSS ideology

The RSS and its supporters also use a set of slogans to make the RSS and its activities appear to be harmless and committed to humanity. These include: ‘Service to humanity is service to God’ (Narseva is Narayanseva); ‘Let us ennoble the world’ (krinvantu vishwaryam – ‘let us Aryanize the world’); ‘seva, sanskar, suraksha’ – service, ideology and self-reliance are key slogans of a wide range of Hindutva groups, from the RSS to the Bajrang Dal and the BJP; ‘A vision in action’; ‘The whole world is one family’; ‘Truth is one, sages call it by many names’; ‘We achieve by our own efforts’; ‘Let all mankind be happy…’