RSS chief blames the foreign forces for Manipur violence in his election speech on Vijayadashmi Day | Arun Srivastava

by Arun Srivastava

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is not known to speak blatant lies but his yearly Dussehra discourse, which he delivered at the RSS office in Nagpur was not an honest narration. His compulsion to hang on to power and lack of moral conviction to accept the faults and absurdities of Modi government was clearly manifest in his speech. His lies also got manifest in his effort to dig out the ghost of the “foreign powers” for put the blame on it for the unabated six-month long violence in Manipur. One thing was nevertheless undeniably clear that he was resorting to lies for the sake of electoral gains.

Being the chief of RSS which controls the BJP he ought to not have tried to hide behind the façade of innocence. His question; How did Manipur violence continue unabated despite a strong government, made it explicit that he was trying to protect Narendra Modi and his own RSS. The people of India are not so naïve not to make out the implication of his speech. His question exposes the abject incapability of the Modi government and connivance of the rightist forces in unleashing and sustaining the violence in the state.

Bhagwat claims to be a Hindu. The basic tenet of Hinduism has been truth, Satya. It is beyond imagination how could Bhagwat abdicate Satya? The truth is, he and his disciple Modi with the sole mission to patronise rightist forces ignored the cries and wailings of the people of Manipur. Bhagwat’s questioning whether “extremists from across the border” were among those behind the ongoing violence in Manipur which has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3 simply censures Modi government. It is known fact that Modi did not take action against the chief minister Biren Singh, but will Bhagwat tell the people whether he asked Singh to ensure transparency, egality and probity in his governance.

Bhagwat is aware of the fact that Modi is a failed administrator, he is not capable to run a country like India; this has even been corroborated by his colleagues, but he lacks the moral courage to pull him for his failures and deceits. Astonishing to pass the buck he resorted to the rightist hogwash that “cultural Marxists” and “woke” people were influencing the academia and the media to spoil India’s culture and education. The “wokes” are selfish, discriminatory and deceitful forces. While the term “woke” is often used to describe persons who are politically conscious and alert to social inequalities, in recent years, it has also been increasingly used in a sarcastic vein.

One has every right to ask him; does he think that he is the only saviour of the country and others are enemies of Mother India? His use of the word Marxist also unravels his utter contempt and hatred for the people who believe in Marxism. It also exposes his lack of knowledge about basics of Marxism. Being a rightist he cannot stand a Marxist.

As if this was not enough Bhagwat said that while some “forces wear the mask of some ideology or the other and claim to be working for some lofty goals, their real objectives are something else”. “These destructive, all-devouring forces call themselves cultural Marxists or woke, or the awakened ones,” Bhagwat said. “But they have forgotten Marx since the 1920s. They are opposed to all orderliness and morality, beneficence, culture, dignity and restraint in the world. In order for a handful of people to have complete control over the entire human race, they reward, promote and spread anarchy and indiscretion.” He added, “Their modus operandi involves taking control of the media and academia, and plunging education, culture, politics and social environment into confusion, chaos and corruption.”

Bhagwat true enough by targeting Marxists and wokes has provided enough hints about the impending rightist attack on them. Strange Bhagwat openly identified these people as deceitful forces that were a potential threat to rightist hegemony and the BJP political ecosystem. His speech provided enough insight that the centrist, liberal, and democrats forces were at the target of the RSS and BJP.

Had this not be the case, he certainly would not sought to know; “How did this mutual discord and hatred suddenly erupt in Manipur, which had been peaceful for almost a decade? Were there extremists from across the border also among those who committed violence? Why, and by whom, was an attempt made to give a communal tinge to this mutual conflict between the Meitei and Kuki and who were apprehensive about the future of their existence?” True enough the answer should come from Bhagwat.

He has also to answer why the Meiteis, who are the hardcore cadres and supporters of RSS, are out for the blood and flesh of the Kukis. Before posing this question to the people he should have directed his governments, both in Delhi and Imphal to come out with a detailed report on the parading of Kuki women naked and gang rape. He should also let the people of the country know why has Modi been maintaining an obnoxious silence on what is happening in Manipur for the last seven months.

This is nothing but Bhagwat’s witch-hunting to deflect the peoples’ attention from his Bhismapitamah-type letdown and abject failures of the Modi government.

Winning the Lok Sabha election is the top priority of RSS, is also manifest in his announcing the date of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with the consecration of Ram Lalla idol on January 22, 2024. Bhagwat’s speech was an election talking was clear from his thrust on Bharat, instead of India. He said; “The desire to preserve the identity of Bharat and the identity of the Hindu society is only natural.

An insight into his using the phrase foreign power would make it absolutely clear that he was playing this card for electoral gains. He cautioned the voters not to be carried away by emotions ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “Cast your vote keeping in mind the vital issues of unity, integrity, identity and development of the country”.

It is not yet clear whether it was a planned affair that while Bhagwat was blaming the foreign power for Manipur violence, two cadres of a Myanmar-based militant outfit with arms were held in Manipur. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the arrest of Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA) members and the recovery of weapons have "yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilising both Manipur and our nation".

While Modi has preferred not to visit Manipur and Bhagwat adopted a non-committal approach towards Kukis, Modi was prompt enough to identify himself with Israel. One question that has forcefully surfaced in India in the wake of the Israel-Palestinian war is; what is the common umbilical cord that binds India and Israel. The alacrity shown by Narendra Modi in supporting Israel in its attack on Hamas is quite significant. Obviously this incidents makes it clear that Israel is more precious for him as it symbolises the aspiration and mission of the RSS.

Modi’s bonding with Israel’s Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu – India-Israel cooperation has increased manifold in recent years, which has often been described as the “Bibi-Modi bromance.” The primary reason for their camaraderie is both are die-hard anti Muslim. The RSS has long admired the Jewish supremacist, anti-Muslim, policy of Israel where majoritarianism (of the Jews) is enshrined in the constitution. RSS ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had called for the creation of a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu state) and looked forward to the fulfilment of the “Zionist dream” of Palestine becoming a Jewish state. Hindutva proponents RSS has championed Israel’s exclusionist policies toward Palestinian Muslims. RSS preferred Israeli model of a military state and a muscular state policy.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has often praised Israel. He always praised Israel’s “strong policies” to illustrate how the small nation won six wars. RSS never had any respect for Palestine and its people. In fact the idea of enacting Citizenship Amendment Act was borrowed by RSS and Modi from Israel’s Law of Return which aimed at denying this right to Muslims. Significantly the law bestows the right of citizenship to Jews across the globe. Leaders like Subramanian Swamy always had effusive praise for ties between Zionism and Hindutva.

Modi does not think before he acts is also manifest in his making a U-turn and asking Israel not to target human lives and hospitals in its air attacks. He could have looked into this aspect of the war diplomacy. During his ten year stay in power, Modi has invested heavily in strengthening ties with Israel and de-hyphenated New Delhi’s policy vis a vis Israel and Palestine. Revival of the rightist mode of politics and help emerge the forces and political parties which subscribe to the rightist and capitalist mode of philosophy has become imperative to counter the leftist, centrist and liberal forces. In his Dussehra speech Bhagwat also targeted the leftist forces.

The RSS and BJP leadership have come to realise that this was the politically correct time to launch a blistering campaign and attack on the leftist, centrist and liberal forces. These forces are virtually in the state of stupor. They have lost their will power and guts to fight the rightist forces. Undeniably the political situation, post Modi becoming the prime minister, had provided abundant opportunities for the left and centrist forces to launch a sustained movement against the Modi misrule. The historical farmers’ movement was one of the most cogent issues.

It is difficult to forget the ill-treatment meted out to the migrant labourers during the Corona pandemic. India is a welfare state, but the rightist dispensation refused to help them. Significantly the Indian migrant labourers belong to the proletariat class. Ironically the established left parties did not take the initiative to reach out to them. At least one thousand labourers died on way while fleeing from the cities, their work places. Unfortunately none of the major left parties did not reach out o the families of these deceased labourers and identify themselves with their miseries.

The left and democratic forces were so scared and afraid of the rightist forces and fascist RSS that they did not dare to speak to the rulers on their face. This fear of repression from the rightist forces makes it explicit that the left forces have miserably failed to reach the Marxism to the people who need it. The reason is they have no clear conception of as to how to organise them. Simply taking out rallies and holding seminars for the white-collar Babus is not enough to indoctrinate the poor and proletariat who already have the highest order of political vision and consciousness.

Ever since India became Independent, it has been a known fact it had not been quick to choose sides in a crisis. But in the case of Hamas-Israel clash Modi did. Significantly the Congress which had ruled the country since Independence an d has been the partner in shaping the foreign policy at its Working Committee meeting, passed a resolution to express “dismay and anguish” over the conflict. It did not identify itself either with Palestine or Israel. It underlined support for Palestinians’ right to “land, self-government and to live with dignity”.

Rightist forces do not empathise with the human and humanity. Humanitarian emotions and sensibilities have been unknown commodities for them. Hitler crushed the humanity and the worst victims of his tyrannies were the Jew. It is ironical that now the same Jews are perpetrating the worst kind of torture on the Muslims of Gaza and Palestine.

Modi had promised to extend all kind of support to Israel just the next day of the Hamas attack. In a late realisation, only on Wednesday, in a significant shift from his previous stand, expressed shock at human loss in Gaza and said that those involved would be held responsible. His statement nevertheless does not make any sense as US President Joe Biden has extended his moral support to Netanyahu. An insight into Modi’s remarks on Israel and Hamas gives the impression that he has been trying to walk into the footsteps of Biden.

There is no denying the fact that Indian diplomacy in this particular case has been badly exposed. Modi and his government officials endorsing Israel’s line primarily owe to RSS nursing a soft attitude towards Israel and erroneously perceiving Zionism as the fraternal twin of Hindutva, by virtue of both embodying supremacist religious fundamentalism as political ideologies.