Mr Mohan Bhagwat has an uncanny sense of timing. He seldom speaks, but his choice of the day and the occasion is brilliant. His choice of words is also superb although I read them only in the English translation. Many strongly disagree with his views — and I do invariably — but one cannot but agree that Mr Bhagwat’s speeches command attention, especially after 2014.
His words are taken as the official views of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). That is because of the nature and structure of the organisation as well as his position as Sarsanghchalak, the Chief. It is believed that the Chief wields absolute authority in the RSS. Hence, Mr Bhagwat’s speeches must be taken seriously and, lately, they are.
A cool wind
Shortly after the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced, in June 2024, Mr Bhagwat made a speech in which the highlight was his exhortation “Shed arrogance, practise modesty”. It was his first public address after the LS elections and he said:
- Electoral discourse that used falsehoods and vituperative language violated the decency that parties are expected to observe;
- Your opponent is not an adversary, he only represents a counter viewpoint; instead of rival, call them the opposition; the opposition’s opinions should also be considered; and
- A true sevak maintains dignity (maryada). He does not have the arrogance (ahankar) to say ‘I did this work’.
- The speech was widely interpreted as pointing to Mr Modi and his election campaign.
The next notable speech was in July in which Mr Bhagwat famously said “a man wants to become Superman, then a Dev, and then a Bhagwan”. It was clearly a disapproval of Mr Modi’s claim that he was not born ‘biologically’. If Mr Modi denied conception, gestation and parturition, was he referring to himself as a ‘creation’? And was Mr Bhagwat hinting that Mr Modi may have crossed a line?
A cold wave
The third speech was on the RSS entering its 100th year on Vijayadasami day, October 12, 2024. I have read the reported text in English (times of india. indiatimes.com). I was disappointed, but not surprised that Mr Bhagwat reverted to the RSS’ established ideological positions. His speech was strewn with words and phrases such as Dharma, Sanskruti, personal and national character, victory of auspiciousness and righteousness, and self-pride. He alluded to the conflict between Hamas and Israel but made no mention of the 43,000 deaths; to the elections in J&K but did not offer his wishes to the new government; and to Manipur but only said that it was ‘disturbed’.
The rest of Mr Bhagwat’s speech was typical Modi-speak: how Bharat as a nation has become stronger, how the world is accepting our sense of universal brotherhood, and how Bharat’s image, power, fame and position on the world stage is constantly improving. There was more: attempts to destabilise the country are gaining momentum, countries that claim to be liberal do not hesitate to attack other countries or overthrow their democratically elected governments through illegal or violent means, deliberate attempt to tarnish Bharat’s image based on lies, etc. Mr Bhagwat offered no evidence of the serious allegations. Referring to Bangladesh, he was in full flow and pointed to ‘unprovoked brutal atrocities on the Hindu community’, to the ‘sword of danger that will hang over the heads of all the minority communities including the Hindus’, and to the ‘illegal infiltration from Bangladesh into Bharat and the consequential population imbalance caused by it’. Finally, in a Modi-like peroration, he said, ‘Hindu community across the world should learn the lesson that being unorganised and weak is like inviting atrocities by the wicked’.
Eye of the beholder
Substitute the word ‘Muslim’ for the word ‘Hindu’, especially in the peroration, and it would appear that the speaker was justifying every communal conflict. Every thought and word of Mr Bhagwat could be used to describe the plight of Muslims and Dalits in India, blacks in the United States, Jews in pre-World War Germany, Palestinians in their own homeland, every minority intimidated by the majority, and women everywhere. Who is the aggressor and who is the victim lie in the eye of the beholder.
It also seems that the RSS has mastered the language of modern political discourse, and Mr Bhagwat used the words liberally: deep state, wokeism, cultural Marxist, finding fault lines, and Alternative Politics. Mr Bhagwat missed ‘urban naxals’ and ‘tukde tukde gang’. He referred to the ‘Arab Spring’ and ‘what happened recently in neighbouring Bangladesh’, and warned against ‘similar evil attempts all around Bharat’. I wonder what was ‘evil’ about the Arab Spring or the revolt of students against a tyrannical government in Bangladesh that ‘won’ an election with the Opposition leaders in prison.
It seems that the RSS and the BJP have resolved their differences and closed ranks. With no one to temper Mr Modi’s utterances and actions, he will feel emboldened to use his authority, abuse Opposition parties, and pursue his policies that have led to inflation, unemployment, inequality, crony capitalism, social oppression, communal conflicts and injustice. Brace yourself for more Modi-speak and Modi-actions.
