Volume-04 ISSN: 2455-3085 (Online) Issue-01 RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary January -2019 www.rrjournals.com [UGC Listed Journal] Golwalkar and Hindu Rashtra: A Veracious Idea or A Malevolent Agenda? Manas Patra M. A. in History (University of Hyderabad), Haringhata, Nadia, West Bengal (India) ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT Article History The character of Golwalkar is still shrouded in deep controversies as it is constantly being Published Online: 10 January 2019 portrayed one way or another in political or historical discussions. While many argue that his ideological roots always stayed in touch with true findings through a proper assessment and Keywords the myth of Golwalkar being a mere Hindu propagandist in both social and political fields, M.S. Golwalkar, Hindutva, Rashtriya emerged as a result of the misinterpretations of his teachings or limiting it to one particular Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Rashtra, ideological or racial connotation by a group of people, others point out the unilateral Caste system approach and lack of diversity which in turn converted him into a belligerent hardliner who *Corresponding Author developed a pugnacious feeling towards anything other than Hindutva? Is Golwalkar‟s idea Email: patramanas90[at]gmail.com of Hindu Rashtra an enlightened nationalism which was grossly misjudged and thus created a myth of his vilified character based on vague generalisation? Or is it a circumscribed theory, clung to racial supremacy and therefore truly reflects his intentions? The aforementioned doubts led to numerous portrayals of the leader and gave birth of a myriad of interpretations. Whether he was a preacher of true findings or a propagandist built on an apocryphal sense of ideological reintervention, remains a matter of speculation. The queries around him seek answers and this paper puts an effort to present them. An ideologue and the second “Sarsanghchalak” or chief of political party in India and in regard to the versatile ideological Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Madhav Sadashiv progress; it certainly stands out from the rest. Instead of having Golwalkar was a man with many shades and had a more volatile and flexible orientations, they have quite a distinguished leadership trait. Popularly known as „Guruji‟ reputation for yielding more of a rigid ideology mainly fixed at a inside the “Sangh Pariwar”, he took control of the former singular approach. Needless to say, this ideological proclivity organization after the death of Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and of RSS towards a certain caste engendered massive remained in position till his death in 1973. Generally every cult controversies in Indian political sphere. The ideological or organisation quintessentially carries forward the legacy of its difference between Hedgewar and Golwalkar was very much founder as the foundation itself is deeply embedded within the evident from the fact that while the latter was a pragmatic ideological roots of that person. It is very rare for those who thinker and emphasized on the technological development of build upon that legacy to exercise the same influence, let alone the nation, the former was keen to uphold the ancient glorious exceed it. The ideological line that any typical organisation heritage with an ideological reinvention in this process. Albeit follows always remains on the same pitch with its founding of these ideological imbalances, Sangh did not tear apart into father, creating an ideological hegemony within the pieces, prevailed as an organisation and kept on rising as a organization itself in the process. However, the ideological major political entity. Nevertheless, the organisation bears far orientation of Sangh experienced a gradual transition and was more emphatic stamps of its successor rather than its founder heavily impressed by Golwalkar till his demise. He remoulded despite the rejection of Golwalkar‟s ideas within Sangh. One of Sangh‟s political outlook and furnished with a new Hindutva the reasons for this is that the mechanism of Sangh was touch. Though the recent Sanghchalak asserted that RSS has heavily affected by the vehement ideological driving by abandoned most of Golwalkar‟s thoughts and declared that his Golwalkar who reshaped the establishment and provided an book “A bunch of Thoughts” cannot be eternally valid” in identity for it. During its initial days, Sangh was a mere local changing times, the core ideology of an extreme rightist fraction; primarily functioned as a pressure group. It had a very inclination is still intact even today well and truly.1 It was also limited territorial extent to wield its influence, mainly confined profoundly claimed by the recent chief that Sangh is not a within Maharashtra‟s Vidarbha area. Moreover the “dogmatised organisation” and follows the policy of flexibility in assassination of Gandhi by one of Sangh members Nathuram adapting itself in different atmospheres, as opined by their Godse served as an identity crisis as a significant amount of founder Dr. Hedgewar.2 But Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh antipathy emerged within the popular masses and led Sangh to has never been a typical organisation like any other frontline fade away into obscurity. In addition to this, it was also blamed for playing an incendiary role in the partition violence. These charges were enough to undermine and denigrate Sangh‟s 1 “RSS has discarded chunks of Golwalkar‟s thoughts: Mohan claim of reinstalling ancient Indian heritage and tarnish the Bhagwat”. Times of India, 20 September, 2018. Retrieved 18 image as a glorified ideological institution as people began to December, 2018. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rss-has- see their callings as apocryphal and dubious. Notwithstanding discarded-chunks-of-golwalkars-thoughts-mohan- bhagwat/articleshow/65879084.cms all the turbulences that RSS had to undergo, it didn‟t crumble under pressure rather it was believed that the association went 2 Ibid. through a new philosophical bathing under Golwalkar‟s RRIJM 2015, All Rights Reserved 383 | P a g e Volume-04, Issue-01, January-2019 RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary leadership. Though he was unable to establish Sangh as a ethos.3 It was an effort to regain the lost Indian cultural heritage legitimate political organisation for its past records, a number which was so rich and diversified in many respects. As of foresighted policies and ideological vestiges of so-called mentioned, Golwalkar nourished his thoughts on a more „Guruji‟, gradually turned this socio-political institution into a intellectual level unlike the pragmatic side of Hedgewar. He kingpin in Indian politics. Golwalkar formally instructed the emphasised on Indian idealism over western materialism .The organisation to have laid out its written constitution. It also latter wanted to educate the mass with a philosophical began to expand beyond its local branches and evolved into a understanding of society, culture, state and nation. According “front organisation” like “Jana Sangh” in politics, “Akhil to him, State has politics and is administered by it on a daily Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad” as a student wing, “Bharatiya basis but nation has no such obligation. State, therefore is a Mazdoor Sangh” among working class and “Vishva Hindu political unit against nation being a socio-cultural one. In many Parishad” in religious matter. In a way, the organisation ways, the state and nation have to have a natural agreement in emerged even stronger from the turmoil and established its which communities live in an organised way. Golwalkar urged roots in Indian political dimension. The ideological settings of to go deep at the roots of the philosophical understanding of a Sangh, laid out by Golwalkar himself, encountered political nation‟s socio-cultural phenomenon, relying heavily on its modulation and therefore went on to work in a politico- ancient basis. He was keen on developing a very strong nation ideological framework. state but at the same time wanted to stay away from political power. In regard to Hinduism, Golwalkar talked about the However this journey wasn‟t a walk in the park from reestablishment of the ancient Hindu society. This certainly Golwalkar‟s part as his tenure was laden with innumerable seems to be a narrow perspective and is burdened with many controversies. Sangh witnessed many tumultuous affairs under limitations in a secular country like India. But his admirers his leadership due to a number of vexed decision makings. His claim that he didn‟t notice Hindu as a singular unit but an pristine ideological approach and Hindu persuasion generated amalgamation of different culture, custom, belief and ethos to much heat in Indian political scenario and still remains a major form a unified national identity. There is no speculation that he subject of conjecture between political theorists. Therefore the intended the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra within India‟s question remains, is it because of his extremist philosophy or territorial extents. According to many rightists, it is quite an idea of creating a structure based on self sufficient unlikely that he approached a Hindu dominated Rashtra with population? A group of his ardent admirers believe that other races and minorities being completely out-listed and numerous portrayals of Golwalkar emerged as a political disregarded. He was in a mission to reinvent the glorified necessity to gain political favouritism. He is certainly not a ancient Hindu culture, their philosophy, mentality and moral