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Mr Bhagwat's speech reveals RSS' electoral agenda

The head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Bharatiya Janata Party’s parent organisation, gives a speech every year on Dussehra. This speech is carefully scrutinised for its impact on the political stance of the organisation and its affiliates. This year’s speech was, unsurprisingly, particularly political, given that this is an election year, with the general election scheduled in about eight months from now. The RSS’ head, Mohan Bhagwat, stressed the importance of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya — the first time in years that this subject has been part of the RSS leader’s speech — in the “national interest”. The Supreme Court is due to take up the Ayodhya property dispute soon, but what is clear is that the Sangh Parivar intends to make the temple agitation once again part of its arsenal of political tools. Instead of the focus on development, the economy, and macro stability that had featured in Mr Bhagwat’s pre-2014 speeches, there is now a focus on making the building of a temple an electoral issue.

This should not come as a surprise. In spite of claims that the RSS was moderating itself or had sought to put some distance between itself and its political wing, it is, in the end, an organisation founded on the principle of using religion for political mobilisation. This is in its DNA. It is nevertheless useful to examine Mr Bhagwat’s speech for clues as to what the BJP’s appeal to its core constituency will be. The temple will be part of this appeal. There will also be the drumming up of panic about what the right wing has begun to call “urban Naxals” — an epithet thrown at any intellectual who does not agree with the Sangh Parivar about secularism, and which is deployed in an effort to erase the clear boundaries between actual left-wing militancy and the free expression of views. Mr Bhagwat described dissent that creates “scorn and hatred against the prevalent establishment and leadership” as “treasonous”. Mr Bhagwat also spoke directly to those of his cadre who may be disillusioned with the current BJP government by saying that NOTA (None of the Above) was not an option while debating who to vote for, as it “goes in favour of those who are most ineffective”.

Mr Bhagwat, as a private citizen, is entitled to say whatever he likes. However, it is important that he be ignored by both the government, which he urged to bring in a law regarding the building of a temple at Ayodhya, as well as the Supreme Court, which he implied should dispose of the Ayodhya suit on an electorally-determined schedule. The Court cannot be seen to be hurried by an extra-constitutional interest like the RSS, as that would undermine its own authority. And the government must recognise that any law it brings in when the Supreme Court is yet to decide on the matter would be seriously ill-advised. Mr Bhagwat also brought up the ongoing agitation in the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala against a Supreme Court judgment that opened the temple to women of all ages. He said the judgment was a “brazen onslaught” on the Hindu faith — a clear warning to the Court regarding its Ayodhya judgment. Taken together, what is made clear is the RSS’ intent to begin Hindu mobilisation for the election campaign on behalf of the BJP.