Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have been highly critical of the just-concluded three-day consultations between the RSS and members of the Narendra Modi Cabinet. Some Opposition spokespersons have claimed that the "cat is out of the bag" and it is now clear that the BJP Government is not just remote-controlled by the RSS, but functions under the overt direction of Nagpur (the headquarters of the Sangh).
Those who criticise such interactions have no understanding of how the Sangh Parivar functions; they have no clue of the nature of internal democracy that prevails in the extended family of these organisations. Many so-called secular commentators and journalists have mocked Sangh leaders for repeatedly clarifying that the RSS doesn't give directives to the BJP or governments headed by it.
For instance, on the first day of the conclave, the rumour went around that the RSS had asked the government to implement OROP (one rank one pension) without delay. That was touted as the biggest takeaway from the meeting. Sangh spokespersons denied that OROP had even come up during the discussion. They were at pains to argue that the RSS does not get into the nitty-gritty of administrative decisions which are entirely the government's domain.
Without understanding the RSS's philosophical moorings, it is indeed difficult to comprehend the symbiotic relationship that the Sangh has with the rest of its Parivar. The role of the RSS with regard to its affiliates is that of an ideological fountainhead, which guides those entities, reminds them of their core ideological commitment, and prods them to act in accordance with the Sangh's deep-rooted nationalist and egalitarian principles.
It is the responsibility of the RSS, in a sense, to oversee the functioning of BJP governments. The Sangh recently reminded the ruling party that its economic policies must be geared towards
"Antyodaya" (the upliftment of the most downtrodden in society) - a term coined by Parivar ideologue and late BJP President Deen Dayal Upadhyay. At the meeting, RSS leaders urged BJP ministers to tailor government policies keeping in mind the scale of mass migration from rural areas to the cities, which is bound to happen as cities develop and modernise.
This is a most timely warning as the Prime Minister's Smart Cities project is gathering momentum. The Sangh, which has always been concerned about growing discrepancies in society, wanted to convey its anxiety that the urban-rural gap should not widen further, nor the digital divide grow bigger in the wake of the Digital India programme.
In other words, the RSS seeks to ensure that India does not blindly imitate the "soulless" development model of the West. Even an amateur student of history knows that both the Capitalist and Socialist models of economic development have often overlooked human concerns; in other words, people's needs and choices have not been factored in while pursuing development goals.
For example, striking the right balance between development and the environment has always been highlighted by RSS thinkers. Although most BJP leaders have emerged from the Sangh school of thought, once in power, the pressures of delivery can often make them and the government as a whole lose sight of such parameters.
Therefore when the Congress and others snipe at the RSS-BJP conclave, it is out of ignorance of the positive role that the Sangh plays in guiding the BJP. Being outside the government, Sangh leaders receive constant feedback on the functioning of BJP governments. Further, affiliates such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (incidentally the country's largest workers' trade union) convey their assessments of the government's policies to the Sangh leadership, who in turn pass it on to BJP leaders.
Unorganised or family-centric parties do not have a mechanism whereby such dialogues can be held and course correction, wherever necessary, can take place. The "leader", or at best the ruling "family" is supposed to be the repository of all wisdom, and consultation with the rest of the party is minimal and sporadic.
Once upon a time, the Indian National Congress was also a structured party. Congress Working Committee meetings were held regularly and animated discussions would happen over the failures and successes of the government's policies. At AICC meetings, even ordinary delegates could go up to the dais and make observations critical of the leadership. Indira Gandhi destroyed most national institutions and even institutions within the Congress party.
There was a brief revival of inner-party democracy during Narasimha Rao's tenure, but now it's back to one-family rule. While it is the Congress party's business how it wishes to run the party, it is galling to hear invective being hurled by Congress leaders to denounce the constructive internal discussions that take place between Parivar organisations.
At such conclaves, Sangh leaders give their perspective and assessment of the BJP's functioning. No peremptory orders are issued, nor are specific instructions given. But the Parivar's broad ideological framework is re-stated, and BJP leaders asked to outline what they propose to do in their ministerial capacity to benefit the people, particularly the poor. The Sangh, for instance, has concerns on national security, education policy and cow protection among other things.
RSS affiliates are there to help the Government in achieving better results in all such areas. The Himalaya Parivar, for instance, is an organisation aimed at deeper integration of communities living on the northern border with the rest of the country. BJP governments are expected to work in tandem with such organisations to further the Parivar's common ideological goals.
Misgivings about the precise relationship between the Sangh and BJP emanate not only from ignorance but deliberate distortion by Left-wing historians, hostile commentators and biased journalists. On its part, the Sangh and BJP have never thought it necessary to bring out their internal equations into the public domain.
Having been at the receiving end of ceaseless demonisation and vulgar denunciation, the Parivar is understandably somewhat circumspect in countering Left-secular barbs that regularly target the RSS-BJP. It is felt that no matter what clarifications are given, those with a fixed BJP-bashing mindset will never alter their thinking. They will never realise that conclaves such as the one held last week can only help the government perform better and deliver quality results. In fact, there is probably a need to hold these more frequently.
(Dr. Chandan Mitra is a journalist, currently Editor of The Pioneer Group of Publications. He is also BJP MP of the Rajya Sabha.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.