The Great August Revolution of 1942: A Nationwide Uprising
OUR country is passing through a phase of nationalist fervour. In such a scenario, it would not be out of place to recall the Great August Revolution of 1942, which is also known as the Quit India Movement. Though its call came from the Congress led by Gandhiji, socialist elements within the Congress turned the movement into a nationwide one. It was 57 years ago that slogans like "Britishers Quit India" and "Do or Die" rent the air. This movement had its share of controversies too. The role of the Communist Party of India has always been scrutinised to show that under Soviet pressure, it kept kept a aloof. Interestingly, this perception lingers in spite of the the fact that Communists, under their banner, launched powerful and innovative cultural as well as political movements.
The RSS and It's Absence from the Freedom Struggle
However, it is surprising that the role of the Rashtriya Seva Sangh (RSS), which is a vocal claimant of nationalism has not been properly scrutinised. A perusal of the documents relating to that era published or authored officially by people connected with the RSS clearly present an unfortunate picture. The RSS not only kept aloof from the Quit India Movement but also other anti-British movements of the Twenties, Thirties and Forties. It maintained a distance from Azad Hind Fauj trials of martyrs like Bhagat Singh and the Royal Indian According to the biography,avy Mutiny.
Dr. K. B. Hedgewar's Role: A Closer Look
In fact, the issue came to the fore last March when the Prime Minister in the presence of RSS chief, Rajinder Singh, released a commemorative stamp to mark the 110th birth anniversary of, "freedom fighter and the founder of the RSS, Dr. K. B. Hedgewar." During the freedom struggle, Hedgewar went to jail only twice and both times at the call of the Congress. He went to jail the first time for making an inflammatory speech supporting the Khilafat Movement (1920-21). This was when he had not founded the RSS. His second and last jail visit was after the formation of the RSS but again on the call of the Congress. This last visit had a curious background. According to the biography, Sanghvraksh ke beej - Dr. Keshavrao Hedgewar, published ublished by by the RSS itself, Hedgewar's imprisonment.
"relates to the satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. During that movement. Mahatma Gandhi had called upon the people to break certain laws of the government. Gandhiji himself launched the Salt satyagraha, undertaking the Dandi Yatra. Information was given that the Sangh will not participate in the satyagraha." (p. 20)
However, Hedgewar decided to participate in the movement with an ulterior motive as we learn from the same biography. It is further narrated in the biography, "he established close relations with all leaders and activists in the prison, explained the work of the Sangh to them and obtained promise of cooperation for work in future. He came out of the prison only after making plans for a big leap for work expansion". (p.21) This clearly shows that Hedgewar chose to go to jail not because he was convinced of the cause but in order to break the ranks of Congressmen.
Shri Guruji's (Golwalkar) Critique of the Quit India Movement
How much Hedgewar and Guru Golwalkar (known as Shri Guruji) who inherited the organisation after Hedgewar, hated the movements against the British, can be gauged by the following words of Shri Guruji: "There is another reason for the need to remain involved in the routine work. There is some unrest in the mind due to the situation developing in the country from time to time. There was such unrest in 1942. Before that, there was a movement in 1930-31. At that time, many other people had gone to doctorji (Hedgewar). This "delegation" told doctorji that this movement will give independence and the sangh should not lag behind. At that time, when a gentleman told doctorji doctorji that he was ready to go to jail, doctorji said, "definitely go. But who will take care of your family then?" (Shri Guruji Samagrah Darshan, Vol. IV pp. 39-40).
RSS's Routine Work: A Focus on Division, Not Unity
To know the attitude of the RSS towards Quit India Movement of 1942, one should go through the following statement of Golwalkar. "There is bad news of the struggle. The boys became militant after the 1920-21 movement. It is not an attempt to throw mud at the leaders. But these are inevitable products after the struggle. The matter is that we could not properly control these results. After 1942, people often started thinking that there was no need to think of the law". (Ibid, p.41) Shri Guruji continues. "In 1942 also there was strong sentiment in the hearts of many. At that time too the routine work of the Sangh continued and the Sang Sangh decided not to do anything directly." (Ibid. p.41). No publication of the Sangh throws light on what great work the organisation did indirectly. However, it is not at all difficult to know what was this routine work. It was to sharpen and aggravate the division between Hindus and Muslims. And for this, the British regularly rewarded them. During the British rule, neither the RSS nor the Muslim League ever faced any ban.
The RSS and the National Flag: A History of Rejection
During the freedom struggle the RSS hated anything which symbolised the united struggle of the Indian people against the British rule. The case of the Tricolour is most pertinent. In December 1929, the Congress, at its Lahore session, adopted Purna Swaraj as the national goal and called upon the people to observe January 26, 1930 as Independence Day by flying the Tricolour. In response to this. Hedgewar as Sarsanghchalak issued a circular to all the shakhas to worship the Bhagwa Jhanda (the saffron flag). Nowhere in the functioning of the RSS, is the Tricolour or National Flag used even today. They may go to unfurl the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Kashmir and get publicity for challenging anti-national forces, but the stunning fact is that the RSS openly decries and denigrates the National Flag. Is it not ironical that the militant groups active in different parts of the country who also refuse to uphold the National Flag and the Constitution are punished by death or imprisonment, whereas the RSS doing the same is treated as apostle of patriotism.
Bhagwa Jhanda: The RSS's Symbol of Cultural Identity
Golwalkar while addressing a Gurupurnima gathering in Nagpur, on July 14, 1946, said that it was the saffron flag, which, represented their culture. It was the embodiment of God. "We firmly believe that in the end, the whole nation will bow before this saffron flag." (Shri Guruji-Samagar Darshan, Vol. 1. p. 18). Even after Independence, it was the RSS, which refused to accept it as the National Flag. Golwalkar while discussing the issue of the National Flag un under the heading. "Drifting and drifting" in Bunch Of Of Thought says. "For example, our leaders have set up a new flag for our country. Why did they do so? It is just a case of drifting and imitating. Ours is an ancient and great nation with a glorious past.
Then, had we no flag of our own? Had we no national emblem at all these thousands of years? Undoubtedly we had. Then why this void. this utter vacuum in our minds?" (pp.237-238).
The RSS and the British: A Complicated Relationship
RSS's Love for British Rule: Golwalkar's Admission
Importantly, one of the reasons, for which the RSS was banned on February 4, 1948, was the issue of allegiance to the National Flag. The issue was so crucial that when a move was initiated by a few sympathisers of the RSS within the Congress to lift the ban, the Home me Ministry, through a communique dated November 14, 1948, stated "the information received by the Government of India shows that the activities carried on in various forms and ways by people associated with the RSS tend to be anti-national and often subversive and violent and that persistent attempts are being made by the RSS to revive an atmosphere in the country which is productive of disastrous consequences". While rejecting all pleas of reforms within the RSS, the communique continued: "Golwalkar has written letters both to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister explaining inter alia that the RSS agrees entirely on the conception of a secular State for India and that it accepts the National Flag of the country and requesting that the ban imposed on the organisation in February should now be lifted." "These professions of the RSS leader are, however, quite inconsistent with the practice of his followers and for reasons already explained above, the Government of India finds itself unable to advise provincial governments to lift the ban. The Prime Minister, therefore, declined the interview which Golwalkar sought." The Government of India decided to lift the ban on RSS on July 11, 1949, only when Golwalkar gave the undertaking to be loyal to the Constitution and respect the National Flag. The fact not to be missed here is that the person who headed the Ministry of Home during this episode was none other than Sardar Patel, a favourite of the RSS. It is also to be remembered that in spite of all kinds of undertakings, the RSS, even today, does not owe allegiance to the Constitution of India and the National Flag as is clear from the latest edition of the RSS publication. Bunch Of Thought (1996).
Bhagat Singh vs. RSS: Contrasting Visions of Patriotism
The stalwarts of the RSS like Guru Golwalkar were never able to hide their love for the British. In his speech at Indore in 1960 long after the British rulers were gone, he admitted. "Many people worked with the inspiration to free the country by throwing the British out. After the British left this inspiration slackened. In fact there was no need to have this much inspiration. We should remember that in our pledge we have talked of the freedom of the country through defending religion and culture. There is no mention of departure of British in that." (Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan Vol. 4, p. 2). When people like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were sacrificing their lives against the British, overriding the consideration of caste and religion, there were people who did not want to annoy the British rulers. The irony is that today, these, very people are the greatest claimant to the patriotic and nationalist face of the country.
By: SHAMSUL ISLAM