Adivasi

Literally ‘first dwellers’. Refers to the ‘aborigine’ or ‘tribal’ populations that comprise 8-10 percent of India’s population. Adivasis are often referred to by Hindutva supporters as people who have ‘fallen’ from Hinduism and must be converted to the Hindutva world-view. The RSS rejects the term ‘adivasi’ since it implies that ‘tribal’ people inhabited India before 'Hindu-Aryans'.

Adivasi (‘tribal’) secessionist or autonomous movements

In several Indian states and regions, including Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Darjeeling and Jharkhand, some adivasi groups are demanding either secession from or greater autonomy within the Indian union.

Akhand Bharat

‘Undivided India’, meaning both pre-partition India and a much larger RSS idea of ‘Hindu territory’ covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, much of Afghanistan, Kashmir, all of Burma, and large parts of other south-east Asian countries.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)

RSS student affiliate.

Aryan, Aryanism

Aryanism is central to Hindutva ideology, but it does not necessarily have the same connotations as the term ‘Aryan’ does in the west. The main Hindutva belief is that India was the original homeland of the Aryans, that Aryans bestowed civilization on the world, that Aryans had migrated from India and colonized the world, that Hindu religion is Aryan, the pre-Vedic Harappan civilization was Aryan, and that ancient Aryan-Vedic civilization was perfect and ideal.

Ayodhya

Town in Uttar Pradesh state and focus of intensive Hindutva activities. In 1992 the medieval Babri mosque in the town was destroyed by Hindutva groups and the VHP is currently working to build a Ram temple in its place.

Babri mosque (masjid)

Sixteenth century mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh state. Hindutva groups claim it was built over a temple that was the birthplace of the mythic God Ram. Destroyed by Hindutva mobs in 1992.

Bajrang Dal (BD, Hanuman’s Army)

Extremely violent youth wing of the VHP, involved in considerable anti-Muslim and anti-Christian violence in India.

Bajrangbali

The Marathi version of the monkey god Hanuman, representing both fighting strength and subsidiary ‘tribal’ groups. Hanuman has been promoted among adivasi groups as a deity, clearly indicating the Hindutva desire to portray adivasis as children of a lesser god.

Basti

Urban tenement or slum, usually comprised of makeshift shelters.

Bauddhik

RSS ideological education.

Bauddhik pramukh

RSS / HSS head of ideological education.

Bhagwa Dhwaj

The RSS saffron flag of the ‘Hindu nation, seen as the RSS’s only ‘guru’ or ‘true preceptor’. RSS devotion and ritual donation of money is to its flag.

Bharat

‘India’, but in its use by Hindutva groups, refers to an entirely Hinduized and sacred conception of the territory of India.

Bharat Kalyan Pratishthan (BKP)

Front set up by the VHP in India to enable it to receive funds from abroad.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, ‘Indian Peoples Party’)

Hindu nationalist political party formed by RSS workers, led by RSS members and currently heading the coalition that forms the Indian government. Its key ideologies are Hindutva cultural nationalism and ‘integral humanism’, another Hindutva ideology developed by an important RSS worker in the 1960s. The BJP slogan is ‘One nation, one people, one culture’. BJP controlled states, such as Gujarat, have seen considerable Hindutva violence and massive expansion of RSS / VHP fronts. The Gujarat BJP and the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have been seriously implicated in the Hindutva carnage against Muslims in 2002.

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh

RSS workers affiliate.

Bharatmata

Deity that is now made to represent the RSS’s view of the ‘holy motherland’. While Bharatmata has been an important Hindu goddess, there has been no major devotional tradition (sampraday) that is based on her exclusive worship. The RSS and VHP have used her to represent the ‘Hindu nation’ because there is not a single deity in the vast Hindu tradition that represents the RSS vision of Hindurashtra.

Bhuj

Town in Kutch district, Gujarat state.

Communal, communalism

In India, ‘communal’ and ‘communalism’ refer to ideology and practices of discrimination, hatred and violence against another group based on factors that include religion, caste, language, ethnic background or region.

Crore

Ten million.

Dalit

Literally ‘downtrodden’. Those outside the Hindu caste system and referred to as ‘untouchables’ in the pre-Independence period. Subject to systematic institutional discrimination, hatred, prejudice and violence.

Dargah

A shrine or centre of pilgrimage and devotion in Muslim, most often sufi-influenced, traditions. A grave of a Muslim preacher considered locally to have been a saint.

Dharma Sansad

VHP religious ‘council of the learned’.

Ekal Vidyalaya

Important ‘one-teacher schools’ – RSS / VHP schools typically run in remote tribal and border areas or urban slums. Aimed at propagating RSS ideology among the next generation of disadvantaged children and recruiting them to RSS causes. Usually run by Vidya Bharati, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sewa Bharati and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.

FCRA

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 1976. Primarily designed to prevent external financial resources from going to Indian political parties or affecting the Indian political and democratic process. Organizations notified to be of a political nature are also prohibited from receiving funds from outside India.

FISI

Friends of Indian Society International, a UK and US based affiliate of the HSS.

Ganvesh

Uniform, RSS / HSS uniform worn at shakhas and other events.

Ghar vapasi

Hindutva ‘homecoming’ ceremony – converting adivasis, dalits, Muslims and Christians to the Hindutva world view.

Godhra

A town in Gujarat. In February 2002, a train carrying supporters of the Ram temple campaign who were returning from Ayodhya was attacked just outside the town reportedly by a large Muslim mob, and almost 60 Hindus were killed. This became the trigger for the Hindutva pogrom in Gujarat state against Muslim communities.

Golwalkar, Madhav Sadashiv

The second RSS ‘Supreme Leader’ after Hedgewar’s death. Very strong supporter of Nazi and Fascist ideas. His writings on the Hindu nation in the 1930s forbid any citizens rights for minorities and celebrated Nazi Germany’s policies. The most important RSS personality after Hedgewar, and deeply revered in the RSS and its shakhas. Golwalkar’s birth centenary in 2006 will be the focus for considerable sangh parivar activity in India and abroad.

Guru dakshina

A ritual of annual donation of money to the RSS / HSS saffron flag – the main way of collecting funds from members.

Gurukula

Traditionally, an institution of religious discipleship in which an initiate lives with and follows the teachings of a guru. Sometimes also means school. Used by RSS education affiliates to name some of its schools.

Harijan

A term used by Gandhi, meaning ‘children of Vishnu (Hari)’, to refer to dalits.

Hedgewar, Keshav Baliram

One of the main founders of the RSS and its first ‘Supreme Leader’. He is deeply revered in the RSS and its shakhas.  Together with B. S. Moonje, promoted Mussolini’s political thought in India.

Hindu (Half-) Marathon

An annual run organized by the HSS.

Hindu dharma

Usually means Hindu religion or religious duty, but turned by RSS / VHP ideologues to mean the natural law and natural order whose key purpose is to uphold and strengthen the Hindu nation.

Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM, ‘Forum for Hindu Awakening’)

Violent VHP / RSS affiliate that works to convert Christians and adivasi populations to the Hindutva world-view. In Gujarat, it works closely with the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and the Bajrang Dal.

Hindu nation

The RSS family view is that India must become an exclusive ‘Hindu nation’ that would replace the current democratic, secular, federal republic. ‘Hindu nation’ is based on a two tier idea of citizenship – legitimate citizenship that Hindus possess by virtue of their religion, and a secondary or curtailed citizenship for minorities who follow what the RSS and VHP consider to be foreign, alien, invader religions, such as Christianity and Islam.

Hindu Sahitya Kendra

HSS Hindutva literature dissemination centre and bookshop.

Hindu Sevika Samiti

The HSS UK’s women’s affiliate. Organizes about 30 weekly women’s shakhas attended by around 500 women and girls. Dedicated to Hindutva ideology and aims.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK (HSS UK)

The RSS branch in the UK having strong and extensive links to Indian RSS. Organizes around 70 weekly physical and ideological training cells (shakhas) in UK and propagates RSS ideology among UK Hindus. Has about 1,500 regular attendees. At the core of the UK Hindutva organizations.

Hindurashtra

An exclusive Hindu nation-state, the primary goal of followers of Hindutva ideology.

Hindutva

Extremist ideology of Hindu supremacy and exclusive Hindu nationhood. Created by V. D. Savarkar in the 1920s. Key idea is that Hindus are those who share the blood of 'Vedic-Aryans', who adhere to upper-caste culture (sanskriti), and who consider India as their fatherland or holyland. India belongs only to Hindus. Minorities do not belong to India, since ‘their fatherland and holyland’ is elsewhere. Hindutva is the key political ideology of the RSS and its family of organizations.

India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF)

US-based fundraising wing for RSS projects in India.

Jankalyan Samiti (People’s Welfare Society)

An RSS service affiliate working in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and various other states.

Kalyan Ashram

See Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.

Kalyan Ashram Trust (KAT)

UK charity, part of the sangh parivar , that aims to raise funds for RSS ‘tribal’ projects in India.

Karyakarta

RSS / HSS worker or activist.

Karyakarta Varg

RSS / HSS workers camp.

Karyalaya

RSS / HSS office.

Karyawaha

Secretary.

Kendriya Karyakari Mandal

RSS / HSS central executive committee.

Keshav Pratishthan

Keshav Institute, the headquarters of the HSS UK in Leicester, named after Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the RSS founder.

Kutch

District of Gujarat state in western India.

Lakh

One hundred thousand.

Lok Kalyan Samiti (People’s Welfare Society)

An RSS service affiliate.

Mananiya

Venerable or honourable.

Marg Darshak Mandal

VHP religious advisory council.

MLA

Member of the Legislative Assembly, an elected state politician.

Moonje, Balkrishna Shivram

An early RSS founder, active promoter of militarism and Nazi / Fascist ideas in India, and revered by the RSS today as ‘dharamveer’ – hero in the religious struggle.

National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT)

Statutory body of the Indian central government that issues textbooks for the central government-controlled school system. State governments have their own state CERTs for their state school systems.

National Hindu Students Forum (NHSF)

UK student body set up by the HSS UK and modelled on the Indian RSS student affiliate. Promotes a range of RSS and VHP projects among UK students. Part of the HSS family. Shares HSS UK address.

National Human Rights Commission

Statutorily and legally empowered agency that monitors and aims to safeguard human rights in India.

National Medicos Organization

RSS health and medical affiliate.

One-teacher schools

See ekal vidyalaya.

Organiser

The Indian RSS’s main English language weekly paper.

Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP)

UK and US based sangh parivar organization that lobbies for and promotes BJP activities, policies and politicians abroad.

Parampoojaniya (P.P.)

The principle one to be venerated, applied to the RSS supreme leader.

Paravartan

Hindutva ‘turning back’ or ‘reclamation’ ceremony to convert adivasis, dalits, Muslims and Christians to the Hindutva world-view.

Parivar

‘Family’, but in the Hindutva context refers to the RSS family of allied organizations.

Patidar

‘Landholder’, a sub-caste group from Gujarat, of which Patels are a major section.

Pir

A Muslim preacher or religious leader in the sufi-influenced or mystical traditions.

Prachar

Propagation of RSS ideology.

Pracharak

Full-time RSS worker or propagator.

Prant sanghchalak

RSS regional head.

Prarthana

Prayers. The RSS has its own hymns, prayers, festivals and rituals, the meanings of which have hardly any relation to traditional Hindu devotion. The same RSS prayers, hymns and festivals are followed exactly, whether in India or abroad.

Pratinidhi Sabha

Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha is the annual central general assembly meeting of the Indian RSS. Akhil UK Pratinidhi Sabha is the HSS UK annual general meeting.

Pratishthan

Institute or foundation.

Rashtra Sevika Samiti

The RSS women’s affiliate, formed in 1936. Organized like the RSS, runs women’s shakhas and has a nation-wide structure. Follows a patriarchal ideology strongly opposed to feminism and genuine women’s equality and emancipation. Dedicated to Hindutva.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, National Volunteers Corps)

A paramilitary, cultish organization formed in 1925-1926. Inspired by Fascist and Nazi ideas and modelled on Italian Fascist youth militia. Organized undemocratically, an all-male organization based on the idea of obedience to the Supreme Leader and of the Supreme Leader as the principle one to be venerated. Core ideology is Hindutva. Dedicated to turning India into an exclusive Hindu nation. Involved and implicated in serious anti-minority violence and hatred. Currently has several million members in India. Branches outside India usually called ‘Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’.

Rugnalay

Health project or ‘hospital’.

Saffron flag

See Bhagwa Dhwaj.

Sampark pramukh

RSS head of contacts, networking, publicity and the media.

Saffronization

Takeover or domination by Hindutva organizations of previously non-Hindutva institutions or fields.

Sangathan

A key RSS method that means to organize, consolidate, discipline and strengthen all Hindus under its ideology.

Sangh

‘Society’. The RSS; also used to refer to the RSS family.

Sangh darshan

RSS ideology.

Sangh parivar

A large family of organizations created, run and organized by, and annually reporting to the RSS. The RSS makes a strong distinction between its family and organizations outside it, including other Hindu organizations. The most accurate translation would be ‘the close family of RSS allied organizations working under RSS ideology in order to further RSS aims’.

Sangh Sandesh

HSS UK newsletter available to HSS UK members.

Sangh Shiksha Varg

Annual HSS 8-10 day intensive physical and ideological training camp for its educational propagators.

Sanghchalak

HSS head (president).

Sankhya

Count, numbers attending an RSS / HSS shakha.

Sanskar Kendra, bal sanskar kendra

RSS young children’s inculcation centres.

Sanskriti, sanskruti

The RSS / VHP view of Hindu culture, based on upper-caste, hierarchical, brahminic and Hindutva ideas. Linked inextricably to ‘sanskritik rashtriyavad’, an extreme cultural nationalism.

Saraswati Shishu Mandir / Saraswati Vidya Mandir

Usual name for RSS schools promoting RSS ideology among schoolchildren and mostly run by Vidya Bharati, the RSS education affiliate.

Sarsanghchalak

The Supreme Leader of the RSS in India and abroad.

Sevikas

Members of RSS / HSS women’s affiliate.

Sewa

‘Sewa’ is a term that can mean giving help or assistance unconditionally to others who need it. It also has religious connotations - in helping others, one increases the likelihood of one’s own ‘salvation’. The RSS use of the term means undertaking service for the purpose of Hindutva consolidation and organization, typically extending the RSS’s reach and influence and recruiting for the RSS.

Sewa Bharati (SB)

The RSS service affiliate. Works in conjunction with various RSS and VHP outfits to provide service activities and recruit for the RSS, especially among dalit and ‘tribal’ groups. Dedicated to the idea of ‘Hindu nation’.

Sewa Education Aid

Sewa International UK project raising funds for RSS education affiliates in India.

Sewa International India

The RSS international fundraising wing, raises funds for and promotes RSS service projects among Indians outside India.

Sewa International UK (SIUK)

The RSS fundraising wing in the UK. Primarily raises funds for RSS service and education projects in India.

Sewakarya

RSS service activity.

Shakha

A central RSS method of organization. It means RSS cell or branch that meets daily (in India) or weekly (elsewhere). In a shakha, uniformed RSS members undergo both physical training ranging (ranging from military drills and weapons training to playing games) and ideological training. RSS prayers to itself, its first two supreme leaders and to the Hindu nation are undertaken.

Shibir, shivir

Training camp.

Shiksharthis, shikshaks

RSS / HSS ‘teachers’ or ideological propagators.

Shishu vatikas

RSS pre-primary education projects, usually run by Vidya Bharati.

Shivaji

Seventeenth century general who founded the Mahratta kingdom / confederacy. A key symbolic figure for Hindutva organizations who claim that the Mahratta confederacy was a proto-Hindu nation based on war against Mughal (Muslim) domination. However, the detailed history of Shivaji and the Mahratta kingdom presents little support for this view, not least because Shivaji’s major generals included Muslims, his release from capture was aided by Muslims, a key military adversary of his was the Hindu general of the Mughal emperor’s army, the Mahratta confederacy fought Rajput (Hindu) armies, and Shivaji built mosques and churches in his kingdom to ensure religious toleration.

Singh, Rajendra (the late)

Former Indian RSS ‘supreme leader’.

SSVE

See Sangh Shiksha Varg.

Sudarshan, K. S.

Current Indian RSS ‘supreme leader’.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM)

RSS Hindu nationalist development affiliate that stresses economic nationalism and self-reliance according to Hindutva precepts. Appropriates the term ‘swadeshi’ which was used in the secular Indian freedom movement to refer to the policy of boycotting British goods.

Swayamsevak

RSS volunteer / HSS member.

Taluka

An administrative unit of rural districts in a state. Comprises a group of villages and normally has its headquarters in a town.

Tribal

An inaccurate shorthand term that refers to the adivasi populations in India, those officially recognised under the designation ‘scheduled tribes’.

Upadhyaya, Deendayal (the late)

An RSS full-time worker and one of the founders of the Hindu nationalist Jan Sangh political party in the 1950s, the precursor to the current BJP.

Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti (UBSS),

Major RSS affiliate in Orissa state.

Utsav

Festival. The RSS celebrates six distinctive festivals annually.

Vanvasi

The Hindutva term for adivasi, or the 'first dwellers' of India, the ‘tribal’ groups. The Hindutva term means ‘forest dwellers’ rather than original people, since Hindutva groups believe 'Aryan-Hindus' were the original inhabitants of India.

Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA, ‘Tribal welfare centre’)

Violent RSS affiliate working to convert adivasi (‘tribal’) groups to the Hindutva world view and recruit them to the RSS. Involved in serious anti-Christian and anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat, including during the 2002 carnage.

Varg

Camp.

Vedic

Related to, or claiming to derive authority from one of the four Vedas, texts considered sacred in many caste Hindu traditions. The period during which the Vedas were composed.

Vibhag

Department, section or zone.

Vidya Bharati (VB, Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Bharati Sansthan)

RSS educational affiliate, runs a large network of RSS schools and educational projects in India. Dedicated to inculcating RSS ideology among schoolchildren.

Vigyan Bharati

RSS affiliate that describes itself as a ‘science council’.

Vijaya Dashmi

Seen as an auspicious day in several Hindu religious traditions, and a focus for festivals.

Vishwa Dharam Prasar Yatra

VHP organized global journey to promote Hindutva and VHP campaigns.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, World Hindu Council)

Organization formed by the RSS in 1964 to ‘unite Hindus’ and to act as a ‘church’ of Hinduism. At the forefront of anti-minority violence and hatred in India. Launched various campaigns against Muslim monuments (including the ‘Ramjanmabhoomi’ movement to destroy the Babri mosque at Ayodhya), and against Christian minorities. Makes the claim that it represents all the Hindus in the world.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK (VHPUK)

UK branch of the Indian VHP, also closely associated with HSS UK. Works to promote VHP aims and goals in the UK. Closely linked to the Indian VHP’s international section.

Vishwa Sangh Shibir

World RSS Camp.

Vistarak

RSS / HSS expansion and development workers, usually those working full-time to expand the RSS / HSS network in a new area.

Waqf board

Statutory agencies having constitutional status that oversee the welfare activities of Muslim communities, including maintaining mosques, graveyards and other religious sites.