The RSS Bares Its Fangs At Agra

The national executive of the RSS, meeting at Agra (July 10), has passed a number of resolutions but gave the topmost priority to Tamil Nadu. And this only goes to further strengthen our conclusion that TN is turning into India’s sociological laboratory Entire India is watching the developments in T.N.. RSS, therefore, is right in expressing the greatest concern over what is happening there. The recent high caste assault on K. Veeramani, general secretary of the Dravida Kazagham. (DV no. 20), the way RSS boys in TN rejoiced over it, the consequent alleged attack on Brahmins in different parts of TN (Hindu, July 30), the solidarity expressed by dalits, Muslims, and Christians with the DK, all co to show that TN is in the grip of a caste war and that RSS is doing its best to intensify it to spread its tentacles. In the caste-ridden Kerala. RSS is engaged in a bloody battle with Marxists, resulting in over 100 deaths so far. RSS claims the support of Brahmins and the powerful Nair community and even some rich Christians. while the Marxists are backed by the poor low castes. One unbelievable development in this caste war is the RSS claim that Untouchables, formerly in CPM, are crossing over to its side. RSS sources say CPM is worried aver this and, therefore, resorted to killing those Untouchables joining RSS. The June 15 murder of two RSS (dallts) men at Chennithala (Alleppey) is said to be for the very same reason (“Why Harijans Are Flocking to RSS in Kerala ?” Organiser, July 25). All these indicate that caste and religion are excercising a strong pull and the RSS is fishing in this troubled waters much to the chagrin of the Marxists. The formation of the SSS in TN to defend the dalits and persecuted minorities against the RSS violence is taken note of by the RSS executive, presided over by the party chief. Balasaheb Deoras. The resolution refers to Puliangudi where the RSS Jnana Ratham sent to a dalit locality to “propagate” Hinduism recently provoked bloody caste riots resulting in the death of over ten of which six dalits were burnt alive. A top RSS leader at Madras fully justified this killing of dalits at Puliangudi saying that had they not been killed, they would have embraced Islam. (DV no. 18 editorial: “Tamil Nadu Shows the Way-SSS As Against RSS”). Anil Pratap of the Sunday (July 3), who visited the spot, graphically de- scribed the havoc played by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of the RSS in a story headlined. “A Brutal Price for Conversions”. The RSS resolution, however. puts the blame on “Muslim proselytizing agencies” for the Puliangudi killings. While SSS has not so far indulged in violence except trying to defend Muslims. Christians & dalits, RSS resolution says: “Under the cloak of championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden-through the forum of SSS-they had been for sometime instigating a section of Harijans against the other Hindus”. But neither the police investigation nor the reports in the “national press” have so far accused the SSS of such instigation. Whatever it is, that the RSS is rattled by the formation of the SSS is very clear from the above resolution. A dalit representative from Tirunelveli reminds what Mao Tse-tung had said: “We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports”. Since the Enemy No. 1 of the dalits and persecuted minorities in this particular area happens to be none other than RSS, he wants these three sections to support the SSS. As for the OBCS, the choice is left to them. Mean- while, we have received a number of re- ports from our readers in that area. Dr. S. S. Meran. MBBS, of the Periyar Hospital and a prominent dalit leader of Raja- palayam, has sent us a long report narrating how he himself became the victim of the RSS goondaism, stressing the need for delits and minorities to unitedly defend themselves. We have also received a re- port from P. Stephon, advocate from Nagercoil, fully defending the right of the dalits to embrace Islam We have another long article from M. Kamalakannan, general secretary of the Ambedkar People’s Welfare. Movement. Tirukoilur. TN. dealing with a similar problem of the dalits. A Christian from Mavellikkara in Alleppy dt., Kerala, Raju Thomas, says that RSS goondas raided the St. George Orthodox church there. A report in Christian Monitor (July 16) adds that the raid was conducted by the police on a complaint by the RSS. “As a result the minority community fears that Kanya- kumari-type riots will be instigated in the area by the RSS”. Many more letters are also pouring into our office indicating that the life, property and the honour of the women of dalits, and minorities are in danger because of the RSS. They also point out that all political parties including CPM & CPI have become silent spectators to this violence. We are in full sympathy with the plight of the poor in TN & Kerala. And the RSS executive resolution (Organiser, July 2) only goes to prove that their complaints are genuine. The RSS resolution says that the SSS is trying to set up one caste against the other and it is preaching separatist tendencies. But we have pamphlets issued by the RSS and its front organisations saying: “Ba Hindu And Buy Hindu”. What is the implication of this? Does it not mean that it is asking Hindus not to buy anything from Muslim and Christian shops and thereby starve them to death ? Will not such a slogan amount to anti- national activity ? In TN. RSS is mainly recruiting a Hindu OBC caste group called Thevars. But SSS comprises dalits. Muslims & Christians, a cosmopolitan, secular group. So. who is setting up one caste against the other, who is preaching communalism, RSS or SSS? The Agra resolution appeals to “Hindu brother in the country, and those in TN in particular, to see through this dangerous game & defeat