"RSS is my soul": Vajpayee

[Guest guest]

VFA-family, friend vijai <friend_vijai>

wrote:

"The Sangh is my Soul"

(by Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee)

 

I came in contact with the RSS in 1939 through Arya Kumar Sabha, a

youth

branch of Arya Samaj, in Gwalior-then a princely state which was not

part of any province. I came from a strong 'sanatani' family. But I

used

to be at the weekly 'satsang' of Arya Kumar Sabha. Once Shri Bhoodev

Shastri who was a senior worker of Arya kumar Sabha, and a great

thinker

and an expert organiser, asked us: "What do you do in the evenings?"

"Nothing", we said, because the Arya Kumar Sabha used to meet in the

morning on every Sunday. Then he recommended us to go to the shakha.

Thus I started going to the Shakha in Gwalior. It was my first

association with the RSS. At that time the shakha in Gwalior had just

begun. It had only Maharashtrian boys, and naturally all the

swayamsevaks used to speak only Marathi. I started going to the

shakha

regularly. I liked the games played in the shakha as well as the

weekly

'bauddhiks' (intellectual discourses).

 

A pracharak, Shri Narayanrao Tarte had come from Nagpur to start the

shakha. He was indeed a superb human being; a very simple man, a

thinker

and an expert organiser. What I am today is the making of Shri Tarte.

Next to him I was inspired by Deendayal Upadhyaya and Bhaurao Deoras.

Gwalior was then not within the field of Bhauraoji. But once he had

come

to Gwalior with Shri Balasaheb Apte who was the then Bauddhik

Pramukh.

Apteji was very soft-spoken. We were soon drawn towards him. I had

talked with him for only a few minutes. But the same year (1940)

when I

went to see the first year Officers' Training Camp (OTC), I came in

close contact with him. I went there just to attend the valedictory

function of the camp, not for training. Dr. Hedgewar had also come

there

for the some time. I first saw him there. When Doctorji was ill I

went

to see him. In 1941 when I was in High School I did my first year

OTC.

In 1942 when I was in Intermediate class I did my second year OTC,

and I

did my third year in 1944 when I was doing my B.A.

 

When I wrote 'Hindu Tan-man Hindu Jeevan' I was a student of class X.

After completing my graduation from Gwalior I did my M.A. from the

DAV

College in Kanpur, because there was no post-graduate college in

Gwalior. I then got State Government's scholarship also. Owing to

Partition, I could not complete my Law. And then in 1947, I decided

to

give up my studies to come out as a whole-time worker of the RSS.

Till

1947 I did the RSS work at the shakha level and carried on my

studies. I

also participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and was jailed.

I

was then studying for my Intermediate examination. I was arrested

from

my native village Bhateshwar in Agra district. I was then 16.

 

My father was not attached to the RSS, but my elder brother was. He

would go to the shakha. Once he went to the winter camp where he

created

a problem. He said: "I cannot take my food with the other

swayamsevaks.

I shall prepare my food myself." And see how deftly the RSS handled

the

situation. The 'sarvadhikari' (superintendent) of the camp complied

with

his request and provided him all the necessary thing for preparing

his

food. After taking his bath and properly adjusting his sacred thread,

etc., he started cooking his food. On the first day he prepared the

food

for himself. the next day, however, he could not prepare it and

joined

the queue of all swayamsevaks for partaking of the food. Within 44

hours

he was changed.

 

The RSS does not change only individuals. It changes also the

collective

mind. This is the beauty of the RSS ethos. In our spiritual

tradition an

individual can attain a great height. Even self-realisation is

possible

if one undertakes the right 'sadhana' and also attain 'nirvana.' But

what about the society? Nobody thinks about his obligation to the

society in general. Now for the first time the RSS thought about it

and

concluded that by changing individuals we shall change the society.

Had

the sarvadhikari at the camp scolded him and not allowed him to

prepare

his food himself his spiritual development would have been thwarted,

whereas in the RSS within 44 hours he was a changed boy. This is the

"secret method" of the RSS. That is how society is changed. It is

true

that it is a long process but then there are no short-cuts, no

instant

recipes.

 

Gandhiji had praised the RSS for the absence of untouchability in the

organisation. Only the RSS organises the society. Other movements

only

divide the society by emphasising distinct 'identity', different

'interests', special 'status', etc. They only encourage

untouchability

by constantly reminding the so-called untouchables of their

"separateness.You are being insulted. You have no place in

society."

 

The RSS has a two-fold task before it. One is to organise the

Hindus. To

build a strong Hindu society, well-knit and rising above caste and

other

artificial differences. Some differences will persist but then

variety

is the spice of life. Like, we have the differences of the language.

We

don't want to destroy this diversity. The other task is to assimilate

the non Hindus, like Muslims and Christians in the mainstream. They

can

follow the faith of their own conviction. No one can object to it. We

worship trees, animals, stones, and what not. We have hundreds of

ways

of worshipping God. They can go where they want. But this country

must

be looked upon as the Motherland for them. They must have a feeling

of

patriotism for this country. But the Islamic division of the world

into

'Darul Harab' and 'Darul Islam' comes in the way. Islam has yet to

learn

the art of existing and flourishing in a country where Muslims are

in a

minority. They cannot convert the whole of India to Islam. After all,

they have to live here. So they have to recognise this fact. And

today

it has become a matter of grave concern and deep thinking in the

Muslim

countries. Because Quran offers no guidance in this regard. It only

talks of killing kafirs or converting them to Islam. But they cannot

do

it always and everywhere. How can they do it where they are in a

minority? If they try to do it, a major clash will take place and

only

the members of the minority will be killed. But Muslims themselves

have

to change this state of affairs. We cannot change it for them.

 

Congress has not correctly understood the Muslim problem. They

continue

to carry on their policy of appeasement. But to what effect? The

Muslims

of this country can be treated in three ways. One is 'tiraskar' which

means if they will not themselves change leave them alone, reject

them

as out compatriots. Second is 'puruskar' which is appeasement, i.e.,

bribe them to behave, which is being done by the Congress and others

of

their ilk. The third way is 'parishkar' meaning to change them, that

is,

restore them to the mainstream by providing them samskaras. We want

to

change them by offering them the right samskaras. Their religion will

not be changed. They can follow their own religion. Mecca can

continue

to be holy for the Muslims but India should be holier than the holy

for

them. You can go to a mosque and offer namaz, you can keep the roza.

We

have no problem. But if you have to choose between Mecca or Islam and

India you must choose India. All the muslims should have this

feeling:

we will live and die only for this country.

 

I wrote "Hindu Tan-man Hindu Jeevan" when I was studying in the tenth

class. I had then said, "koi batlaye Kabul mein jaakar kitni masjiden

todin." I still stand by my words. But we (Hindus) did pull down the

structure in Ayodhya. In fact it was a reaction to the Muslim vote-

bank.

We wanted to solve this problem through negotiation and legislation.

But

there was no puraskar for burai (evil act). We change burai also with

parishkar. Now I think, the Hindu society has been regenerated which

was

the prime task of the RSS. Earlier Hindus used to bend before an

invasion but not now. This change in Hindu society is worthy of

welcome.

So much change must have come with the new-found self-assertion.

This is

a question of self preservation. If the Hindu society does not expand

itself it will face the crisis of survival. We have to expand

ourselves.

We have to take others along with. Now the Yadavs and the so-called

Harijans are going with us. After all we have to live as Hindus.

Once a

Yadav leader came to me and said: "Don't condemn all Yadavs. All

Yadavs

are not with Mulayam Singh and Laloo Prasad. A 'samskrit' (cultured)

Yadav does not like them. There can be sections of Rajput, Kurmi and

Gujjar Muslims but you cannot find any Yadav Muslim anywhere. The

Yadavs

never accepted Islam. This talk of "Yadav-Muslim" Unity - MY card -

is

nothing more than an empty slogan for votes."

 

The simple reason for my long association with the RSS is that I like

the Sangh. I like its ideology, and above all I like the RSS attitude

towards people, towards one another which is found only in the RSS. I

remember an incident, when I was in Lucknow. The Socialist movement

was

its peak. Suddenly a senior socialist activist fell ill. He was lying

alone in his house, and nobody went to enquire after his well-being.

Then Acharya Narendra Deo came to know and he went to his house to

see

him. The Acharya then said, "What fraternity is this in the Socialist

Party? Nobody has come to see you. It can never happen in the RSS.

If a

swayamsevak does not go to the shakha only for one day the same day

friends will promptly reach his house to enquire about his well-

being."

 

When I was ill during the Emergency, my family members did not turn

up

to see me. They were afraid of being arrested for any such action.

Only

the RSS workers helped me. See, how much living contact and fraternal

feeling is in the RSS. Actually the Sangh is our family. We are all

one.

 

In the beginning we could not spread our work in all sections of the

society because we did not have enough workers. "Man-making" is the

prime job of the RSS. As we now have more workers, we are covering

all

sections of the society in all fields of life. Changes are taking

place

in all spheres. But the work of man-making will not be discontinued,

it

will go on. It must go on. That is what the RSS movement is.

 

 

 

 

Post message: hssnj

Un: hssnj

 

 

 

 

hssnj/

 

hssnj

 

Terms of

Service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail is new and improved - Check it out!

--- End forwarded message ---