OPINION | Opposition to Pranab Da's Attendance at RSS Meet an

Assault on Democracy, Writes Manmohan Vaidya

There has been an unseemly outrage among certain sections of the political class against former
President Dr Pranab Mukherjee's acceptance of an invitation as chief guest for the concluding
ceremony of RSS's Tritiya Varsh Training programme.

Dr Mukherjee is a mature and experienced politician who has spent decades in public life. He has
well-evolved ideas on matters that are of social and national significance. The invitation has been
extended to him with the idea that this will be an invaluable opportunity to listen to his views. Also,
he will have the opportunity to listen to the views of the Sangh and have a firsthand experience of
Sangh as well. This exchange of views and ideas is intrinsic to the ‘Bharatiya’ concept of dialogue,
this invitation and its acceptance is but a continuation of that democratic tradition enshrined in our
cultural ethos.

So why then the dissonance and negative commentary? Why the opposition to this exchange?

The resistance has surprised many, but if we were to delve into the ideological basis of this
opposition, it would be unsurprising. Bharat’s intellectual spectrum’s most vocal voices are those of
an ideology that is entirely alien to India and has been rejected the world over, for its high level of
intolerance and violent means to achieve conformity, that is ‘communism’. Their idea of “thought
conformity” necessitates this approach that not only rejects healthy exchange among diverse
stakeholders but also protests against it.

There is a lazy assumption that if you do not hold a so-called Leftist perception then by default you
are a “right winger” – their view of the ideological world exists in strict binaries and as a result, you
become someone who should be criticised, publicly shamed and protested against. This is the
communist tradition, verifiable with human experience, rather oppression across the world. And
yet, despite repeated displays of intolerance, they adorn the mantle of human rights and free
speech advocates.

A few years ago at the same programme, an invitation was extended to renowned social activist
and Magsaysay Award winner Dr Abhay Bang. At that time as well, eminent socialists with all kinds
of ‘Left leanings’ in Maharashtra were up in arms against his decision to accept the invitation. Their
pressure politics to discourage engagement led to opinion pieces and articles in their Marathi
weekly SADHANA. Dr Bang responded to the pressure by stating that he was going to present his
views at the function, so why the opposition? In fact, he went on to praise the open-mindedness of
the RSS, who had invited him as an honoured guest despite knowing his views; and it were the

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‘Leftists’ who were exhibiting their intolerance despite all their claims to the contrary in rhetoric. He
remained firm in his decision to participate in the function and furthermore submitted the text of
his speech to Sadhana for publication. However, the magazine that claimed to be the vanguard of
free speech refused to publish it, despite the fact that he had been a contributor in the past.

In 2010, I met with Shri Keshavan Nair, a CPM Trade Union leader from Kollam in Kerala. He had
been expelled from the communist party for writing two articles in a local paper on “Science in the
Vedas”. Singed by this hypocrisy, Shri Nair decided to write extensively on Communists and even
published a book – Beyond Red (which he gifted to me).

On the blurb of the book, he is quoted from the book: “The only freedom communists give you is to
praise them”!

During one of my visits to Kolkata as Prachar Pramukh (Media Relations In-charge), whilst CPM was
in power there, the local unit of RSS made an attempt to schedule appointments with the editors of
Statesman, Indian Express, Times of India, Vartaman and a communist-leaning newspaper. All
granted time for the meeting but the communist newspaper. The editor of the Left-leaning
newspaper declined to give an appointment saying he doesn’t want to waste his time. This is their
democratic nature and commitment to free expression. The meetings were a success. We had no
expectation that those who met with us would agree on every issue with the Sangh, but all were
open to understanding and engaging with the RSS’s views. About the undemocratic attitude of the
newspaper that declined appointment, I told our local ‘karyakarta’ that whenever I come to Kolkata,
try to get an appointment with him.

A couple of years ago, Shri Dattatreya Hosabale and I were invited to the Jaipur Literature Festival
to put forth the views of RSS about different social and national issues in an interactive open
session with a journalist. We decided to accept the invitation and attend. At JLF as well, there was
opposition by Leftist forces.

Individuals like Sitaram Yechury and MA Baby boycotted the festival just because the RSS had been
given a platform to air its views despite the fact that Sangh is increasingly finding acceptance,
engagement and support in the society all over Bharat.

Their elitist definition of free expression excludes even an attempt to understand such an
organisation. But what is the motivation for such protests? Is it their fear that should the RSS be
given an opportunity to reach out to a larger audience the veil of misunderstanding created by
spreading canards will be lifted and the lies exposed? People will know the truth and that is the
biggest fear of all.

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The communist ideology and such fascist opposition to free speech are entirely against Bharatiya
thought.

There is, however, another example that is in contrast to the ones elucidated so far. A few years
ago, a delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC) visited India. They were interested in
meeting with the Sangh and were invited at Keshav Kunj, the Delhi headquarter of RSS. I happened
to be in New Delhi and received the delegation; they also gifted me a memento depicting the Great
Wall of China. I was curious about their interest in the RSS. CPC being a political party, it was
obvious that they meet leaders of different political parties here. But why meet the Sangh?

They answered that query by saying that they were a cadre-based political party and the Sangh was
also a cadre-based organisation, which had motivated them to reach out for an exchange of ideas.

To which I responded and underscored a distinction, “It is true but there is basic difference between
us. CPC is a political party that works for a state-power and through a state-power where as we, the
RSS on the contrary do not work through or for a state power. We work directly amongst the
society with the support of the people.”

Despite this articulated difference, we had a gracious meeting. We did not refuse to meet with
them since having exchange of views and ideas is the Bharatiya approach.

The intellectual world of Bharat is dominated by the people with some sort of ‘communist’ colour.
And either because of the lack of original intellectual thinkers in Congress, and other political
parties based on individual or family, territory or caste identity, they have outsourced their
‘intellectual space’ to people with communist or Left background. Though they talk of liberalism,
democracy and freedom of expression, they invariably are seen exhibiting the communist
ideological intolerance, intellectual untouchability and exclusion.

Pranab Da's decision to attend the RSS function has yet again revealed their hypocrisy.

The fourth Sarsanghchalak – Shri Rajju Bhaiya had a deep friendship with a senior Congress leader
from Uttar Pradesh. Once when Shri Guruji was visiting Prayag, the Congress politician was invited
for an interaction over tea along with the prominent citizens of the city. However, the politician
regretfully declined, stating that whilst he wanted to attend, his presence would lead to
unnecessary and unpleasant chatter amongst his colleagues in the party.

Rajju Bhaiya was startled by this reticence and asked his friend if they would indeed make him the
point of discussion, to which the politician responded dolefully that his friend from the RSS had no
idea of how politics worked.

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Rajju Bhaiya informed him that in the Sangh it was very different. Were the two seen in each
other’s company by swayamsevaks, they would not doubt his intentions at all; in fact, they would
assume that he must be explaining the idea of Sangh to his friend. How can the Congressmen do
not trust such a tall leader of their own?

History repeats itself after all these years when another towering and experienced leader, who is
also the former President of this nation, is being questioned by junior leaders from his party, some
who regretfully possess shady reputations and not even half his experience.

How is it that not one swayamsevak has questioned why the former President and Congress
stalwart was invited? This is the difference between the thought process of the RSS and those who
claim to be vanguards of free expression.

It is Bharatiya tradition to exchange ideas with a diverse set of people. To reject and protest such an
exchange is non-Bharatiya and an assault on our democratic traditions as a culture and the largest
democracy in the world.

However, this debate over Pranab Da’s presence at the Tritiya Varsha concluding ceremony in
Nagpur has revealed the true face of these so-called proponents of free speech.

Furthermore, Pranab Da has resisted these attempts to publicly shame him and has been
statesman-like with his response, stating that he will answer with his speech in Nagpur,
emphasizing thus, that his decision to attend is unwavering. We welcome his decision and his true
spirit of democracy.

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